


Slayers Resolution

by QueenHimiko



Category: Slayers (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-20
Updated: 2016-09-25
Packaged: 2018-05-22 00:07:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 90,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6063256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenHimiko/pseuds/QueenHimiko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The gang bands together for what they think is a treasure hunt but finds that the world is once again in mortal peril! This is an updated version of the first fanfic I ever wrote, which was under a different name back in 2002.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Aah! The Haunting at Old City Library!

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own "The Slayers," I just play in the sandbox.

"FIREBALL!" A flash of brilliant light descended unto the tiny bandit camp, and turned what had been a calm, quiet evening dividing the day's spoils into a twisted mass of panicked chaos as the name of a sole sorceress rang on everyone's lips. "Lina Inverse…Lina Inverse, The Bandit Killer, The Dragon Spooker and The Girl Who Leaves Destruction in Her Wake." Lina chuckled, and slung her arms back to her left before throwing them forward as she yelled, "FIREBALL, FIREBALL, FIREBALL!" in quick, rapid succession before she descended into the camp, with a tall, blonde swordsman at her side.

Though small in stature, she picked up the nearest bandit she could find and brought him at eye level with her while she left Gourry to take care of anyone who might take the opportunity to attack her while she was distracted. She glared deviously at the now terrified bandit as she barked, "I want information, and I suggest you cooperate. In my book, villains have no rights, and I have nothing against killing you on the spot…"

"What is it you want to know?" he asked, never once doubting her words.

Two bandits came out of nowhere, swords raised as they charged at Lina. Gourry stepped between Lina and the bandits, and disarmed them easily without killing them, allowing them to run away in fear. Unlike Lina, Gourry avoided claiming lives when he could.

Lina's smile rang with false charm, "I have it on good authority that your gang knows the location of the ancient works of Sorcerer Keran the Great. I have a vested interest in his works, and was just wondering if you might be able to direct me to their whereabouts." Her eyes narrowed into another chilling glare as her face seemed to expand. Raising her voice a decibel, she spat, "And you'd better give me the correct location or else I will hunt you down and haunt you forever!"

The bandit gulped, "Seyruun!" he shouted, "It’s in Seyruun, I promise it is!"

"Where in Seyruun?" Lina growled as she leaned in closer to his face.

"Old City Library! Not where the other books are, though. You'll have to dig in the underground caverns, but I promise you they're there!"

"Old City Library, eh?" Lina said to herself as she dropped the bandit and turned to deliver a flare arrow to a bandit that was sneaking up behind her while Gourry was distracted with the three that were coming from the front and the right and left sides. "Makes sense, I guess. Come on, Gourry, let's grab their treasure and go get some food."

Gourry's ears perked at the mention of food, "Alright!" he said as he finished off the bandits, "I'm so hungry, I think I could go for a fourth serving tonight!"

Lina laughed, and slapped Gourry companionably on the back before she took off and started searching for the bandit's treasure that would pay for the night's meal, both completely oblivious to the dark forces watching them from afar.

He had walked through this town once before. He tried not to remember the events of those times too clearly, though the town itself had a power that forced them to rise from their graves. Almost as if by remote, he walked up to the maze. Even though he had only traveled through it once, he knew he could easily find his way through the maze again. And this time I don't have two monsters and a dark lord on my tail.

While he felt that his mission held a great importance of its own, the urgency he felt now was nothing compared to what he had felt when he had traveled here with Lina and the others, desperate to find a spell that would destroy Gaav, the Demon Dragon King. Yet the immediate goal had been the same. Like Lina had to see the Claire Bible three years ago, he had to see it now.

Zelgadis had not thought it fair that only Lina had had the privilege of seeing the Claire Bible, but pressed as they were for time, Zelgadis had not complained too much. Still, Lina could at least have asked if there was any way for him to revert back to his human form. It had been, after all, his own initial quest to find the Claire Bible that had stirred Lina's interest. Zelgadis was not too bitter, though. They had all nearly lost their lives fighting Gaav, and then Phibrizo afterwards. And after that crisis was over, Zel had felt slightly wary about coming back here. Yet the need to find to a cure to his curse overcame the wariness that plagued him whenever he thought about returning here, and now here he was…

It was just as spectacular as he remembered it. The tall, misty mountain overlooking verdant green hills. Zelgadis looked around silently, memories of the last time he was here returning to him unbidden. The weird spherical monsters he and Amelia had destroyed, Seigram sneaking up behind Amelia and throwing her from the cliff, the blood flowing out of her body, his panic as he feared that she just might not make it. The Golden Dragon, Milgasea, coming to their aid. Lina destroying Seigram with the Ragna Blade, and then the ensuing fight with Gaav, one in which Gourry and himself had nearly lost their lives fighting. Zelgadis winced and shook his head and tried to clear himself of the memories when something on the field of his vision caught his attention. It was flying, it was golden, and it was headed straight towards him. Maintaining his calm, Zelgadis watched as the Golden Dragon landed and reverted to his human form. Zel recognized him at once, and it soon became apparent that the dragon recognized Zel as well. "Welcome back, Zelgadis Greywards."

Zel nodded in what he hoped was a polite manner, "Milgasea." He acknowledged. He had wondered about the best way to approach the dragon with his request. Should he just cut to the chase and ask to see the Claire Bible? Or should he actually make an attempt at small talk? He gave up the latter option as useless. He wouldn’t insult Milgasea by pretending to be interested in what he did in his copious spare time. "Well, the reason I have come here is to see the Claire Bible."

Milgasea nodded, his golden eyes closing, his expression unreadable, "I figured as much. Follow, we've much to discuss."

Without waiting to see whether Zel followed or not, Milgasea headed down a path…one that was not the path that they had taken two years ago to see the Claire Bible. Zelgadis was about to object, but thought better of it, and followed Milgasea in silence while he tried to be patient. After what seemed like an eternity, they finally came to a cave that Milgasea entered. Inside was a rather cozy room. Milgasea sat down at a table, "Sit," he said, and Zelgadis did. Milgasea poured Zel a cup of coffee, and some tea for himself. He took his time, sipping the tea slowly before putting it down as he looked Zelgadis straight in the eye, "I am afraid that I cannot allow you to see the Claire Bible."

Zelgadis face faulted, recovered, and said, "Why not? All I want is a cure to this accursed body of mine!"

Milgasea sighed, "Tell me, Zelgadis, what sort of magical powers did you possess before you were transformed into a chimera?"

Zelgadis opened his mouth to protest, and then shut it, and thought for a few minutes before he replied, "I had some powers, but nothing compared to what I have now. But then, I didn’t study shamanist magic until after my transformation, so I really cannot accurately say how powerful I was before it."

"But do you think that you would be as powerful a sorcerer now without the demon part of you as you are with it?"

Zelgadis sighed and muttered, "Probably not."

"And there are times when your stone body proves an advantage in a swordfight. You're used to taking a lot more punishment than the average human as a result of your stronger body. How well would you fair in a swordfight if you no longer had it? You would overreach your bounds."

"Still, it’s my risk to take!"

"Yes, it is, but I know something that you do not."

Zelgadis's ears perked, "What is it then?"

Milgasea lowered his head, "Not much, I fear. There have been bad omens but nothing specific. But it is enough to know that you and your friends are in danger yet again. And this time, the threat that you will face will be far greater than any you have faced before. You will need your powers if you and your friends are to survive this one. Even then, I fear that your chances are not great."

"What is it? What will we be facing?" Zelgadis asked, desperate for more information.

Milgasea stood up, and gestured Zelgadis towards the door, "I have told you all that I know. Farewell, Zelgadis Greywards."

* * *

  
Once again, Zelgadis was back outside the maze, in the same desolate deserted town, wondering what to do next. He took a sip from his canteen, and then stared at it. As was their custom, Amelia had once again given him her bracelet to keep with him as he traveled. He fingered it and debated the risks and benefits of returning it to her. Then suddenly he knew where he would go. Seyruun. Seyruun, the white magic capital. The time was long overdue to take Amelia up on her offer. Certainly a cure to his accursed body would be found there, and maybe, just maybe, some answers to some of his questions.

* * *

  
"This ice cream is just as good as I remembered it!" Lina said as she and Gourry walked through the streets of Seyruun, towering ice creams cones in each hand.

"You can say that again!" Gourry said, finishing off a scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough and starting on a scoop of cookies and cream.

"Now, if I recall correctly, Old City Library should be somewhere along this street. I'll go and find the works of Sorcerer Keran. Why don't you look and see if you can find yourself a better sword. The one you have is good as a temporary measure, but I'll feel better once you have one with power similar to the Sword of Light's. I don't think you'll have much luck, Seyruun being a city of pacifism and all, but give it a shot. We'll meet up back at the inn in time for supper."

"Alright." Gourry said. He almost turned to leave when he stopped, "Hey Lina, I thought that you were just hanging around me until I gave you the Sword of Light."

Lina froze as her eyes grew big, "Umm, yeah, well…"

"Well, not that I'm complaining or anything, but now that I no longer have the Sword of Light, why are you still hanging around me?"

Lina turned as crimson as her hair, "Well…Hey, what do you know? Here we are, Old City Library, right where I remember it being, now go along Gourry and find yourself a nice new sword to buy and give to me, and don't you dare start dinner without me tonight because studying makes me extra hungry!" Lina said as she pushed Gourry away from the library.

"Okay, okay, I'm going." Gourry said as he walked off, confused. Lina watched after him for a few moments, as confusion set in as she tried to sort out her feelings for the swordsman. But then she decided to give it up and ran straight into the library.

A librarian stood up as Lina entered. Lina ignored her. She wouldn't know where Sorcerer Keran would have left his works. For one thing, most people in Seyruun probably never knew that their city, the white magic capital, harbored black magic documents. For another thing, Sorcerer Keran's works would not be found on any old library shelf. No, it would be harbored in some secret room, and Lina was determined to find it.

"Let’s see," she said to herself as she walked through the library. "Keran must have been here before Seyruun was even founded, meaning the library might have been built over the place where his works are stored, meaning I must reach the lowest levels of the library…" she looked around for a staircase, found one, and started heading down…and down…and down. The further she went, the less well kept the staircase looked as the air took in a stale feel. No one had been down here for ages. The wooden stairs started to creak, and then started to look as if they were going to break away completely and then, suddenly, it changed to a stone staircase. Old, crumbling stone, but stone nonetheless. That, and the design of the stairwell had changed completely.

"LIGHTING!" Lina yelled as she let the light illuminate the walls around her. "Inscriptions…" she said as she stared at the walls around her, "They're a little faded…wait a minute! This is the language they used during the time of Sorcerer Keran! Looks like I found it! Oh Lina, you're so clever!" She strained her eyes slightly and started reading the inscriptions. It basically said that here resided Sorcerer Keran the Great, and why he was so great. Lina was about to be overcome by his ego when finally she came across a door.

She tried to open it the conventional way only to find that the door refused to open the conventional way. She tried a few basic lock pick spells, and found that they didn't work that well either. Lina grinned as she threw her arms back, "Well, if that won't work, how about a DIL BRAND!"

BOOM! Well, that took care of the door. Lina peered inside anxiously, and wasn't the least bit put off as several ghosts exited the room and went prancing up the stairwell and towards the main library. Lina shrugged, "Well, what are you going to do? What matters now is that I find those papers of his and gain some of Keran's ancient and great wisdom!"

* * *

  
"Princess Amelia!" a voice rang. Amelia looked up from her paperwork and stared at the guard. It had better be important. "Yes?" she asked.

"Princess, there is some trouble down at Old City Library!"

"What kind of trouble?"

"Some ghosts have been let loose from the catacombs under the city by some crazy sorceress and are terrorizing the library patrons. Thus far the temple priests have had a hard time exorcizing them, and we thought that with you as strong in the arts of white magic as you are, might be able to render assistance."

Amelia stood up as she raised a hand, "While the dead refuse to stay buried and torment and disrupt the lives of living innocents, justice will never triumph. That is why I, Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun, will rush to confront this evil!"

And with that, she took off and was gone.

* * *

Lina was very content. Sure, miles above her many petrified library patrons were cursing her name as ghosts ran amuck in the library, but here she had found what she had been looking for. Sorcerer Keran's experiment book. Most of it was spells that had been maintained and passed down. Some Lina was fairly sure that she could blend in with some of her own and perfect. Others Lina had absolutely no use for, or were just plain dead ends. And then she found it. Her eyes widened, "It can't be!" she exclaimed, "My gosh, it is! He was trying to combine power from black, white and shamanist magic! But is that possible?" In sweet anticipation, she turned the page. Such a spell could even be more powerful than the Giga Slave! Not to mention not as dangerous. She face faulted. Apparently, Sorcerer Keran felt that since the spell was so powerful, he should divide it up and leave a trail of breadcrumbs to where it lay. Lina frowned. All she had was a name. Ullis? Ullis! The ancient city of forgotten wisdom, lost to humanity for a millennia! Hurriedly she searched the room for an atlas. Luck was with her, for it was not long afterwards that she pulled one out. She flipped through the pages and searched for Ullis…and there it was, located near present day Atlus City. And after a millennia of being a lost and forgotten city that the living no longer frequented, she, Lina Inverse, would be the first to step into the ancient city!

She leaned back and thought out loud to herself, "Ullis, I'm going to see Ullis!" she frowned as she thought about what she might well find there, "A spell that could combine power from black, white and shamanist magic. Could a mere human even manipulate all that power?"

"If anyone can, I'm sure you can."

Lina sat up, "Zel?" she asked, "What are you doing here?"

"What do you think? Looking for a cure. I doubt I'll find one in here, though. I just heard about a panic at Old City Library, and correctly concluded that you were at its center."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"Anyway, where's Gourry? It's not like you two to be separated from each other." He said slyly as he lifted an eyebrow.

Lina ignored him. Either that she was too preoccupied with her discovery to be bothered with throwing a tantrum, "Out looking for a new sword. We're meeting up at the inn and then we'll head off to Ullis. I've found about all the information I can here."

“Ullis?” Zel asked, “The Ullis?”

Lina nodded, “The one and only. There’s an atlas here that shows us where it is!”

“Splendid.” A new voice said. Lina and Zel turned in surprise to see a woman they had never met before climb in through the hole that Lina had blasted into the wall, “Oh dear, dear, dear. Lina, darling, you really should see that you don’t leave quite so much carnage in your wake. It was frightfully easy to track you down, you see. And given the stakes, well, I must say many people are going to be interested in what you have just found.”

Lina scowled. “Excuse me, but who are you?”

“Oh, dear me! Where are my manners?” she asked as she patted her immaculately styled dark hair, “Professor Scarlet Rubaka. I’m Seyruun’s lead archeologist. You can check my credentials with Princess Amelia, or Prince Phil for that matter.”

“The Professor Rubaka?” Lina asked as she recognized the author behind numerous articles that were taking the various Sorcerer’s Guilds by storm with their information about the various archeological finds she had made in Seyruun.

“Please, call me Scarlet. I’m also familiar with your work, and I would like to think of you as a colleague.”

Scarlet lifted her beige linen skirt and revealed a lovely pair of doe skin boots as she stepped over a piece of fallen debris and before sitting at the table. She pulled a pair of pince-nez from her poets blouse and set them on her rather aristocratic nose. Lina felt a bit in awe of her. She radiated power and intelligence, and on top of everything else, seemed remarkably well put together.

Scarlet pulled up a manuscript and tutted when she saw that it had been singed. “Oh dear me, this scene has not been processed well at all. What if your carelessness has forever damaged a vital piece of information?”

“Um, well…” Lina mumbled as Zel folded his arms, amused.

“Now look, darling.” Scarlet said, “You are a brilliant sorceress and researcher. I’ve spent the past five years trying to locate this laboratory. I hope it’s not too presumptuous of me to assume that it was my paper on the subject that led you to seek out information on Sorcerer Keran in the first place.”

“Well, now that you mention it, yeah.”

Scarlet tucked a stray bit of hair back in place, “I do wish I had access to your sources. But then I might now approve of the means. Hm, no, don’t tell me how you found this then. Anyway, back to my main point, you have saved this world over and over and done extraordinary things. The human race should be bowing down before you in thanks. But are they?”

“Huh?” Lina sputtered.

“Let me clue you in, darling. They’re not. And it’s because of the means you employ. If you want to receive the credit that you are owed, then you really must take more care with your surroundings.”

“You say that, but how am I supposed to take down a monster intent on destroying the world if I’m too worried about a little bit of collateral damage?”

“But darling, that’s not always the case now, is it? I mean just today you unleashed a family of ghosts upon this poor library. Miles above us they are tormenting patrons and creating quite the mess. The ordinary person does not see you fight Shabranigdo, but they do have to contend with these little daily emergencies you throw their way. So now, what are you going to do about these ghosts?"

"Nothing, it’s not my problem."

Scarlet tutted, “If you ever want to be given the credit due to you as the savior of the world, then this matter of the ghosts is your problem. Oh, and don’t go shooting off that dastardly Dragon Slave. While it may be your defining trademark, fire off a spell that powerful and you’ll destroy all of Seyruun! And you really don’t want that on your resume now, do you? Now move along, I’ll stay here and complete a thorough investigation of this find. I expect I will see you again in the morning. You will need my help in Ullis. Bye now.”

Lina wasn’t sure if she should feel inspired or belittled. But then Gourry ran into the room yelling, "Lina are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Gourry! Why wouldn't I be?"

Gourry scratched his head, "Well, I just heard about the ruckus over here and figured…"

"Oh, come on, let’s go to the inn." She said as she headed up the stairs with Gourry and Zel trailing behind her. "Any luck finding a sword."

"No," Gourry said, "Seyruun just doesn't have much of a demand for them."

"Don't worry, we'll find you a new one!" she then looked up at the rows and rows of stairs in front of her, "This will take forever, come on Gourry." She said as she grabbed his hand, "LEVITATION!"

Zelgadis followed suit, and soon they were up at the main floor of the library. And that was when all Hell broke loose.

"Gee," Lina said as she deflected a very heavy book with a small wind spell, "I didn't know it was this bad up here."

Books were flying, shelves were falling, patrons were being chased every which way, and priests were running about doing their best to rid themselves of the menace. And then suddenly, a familiar voice broke through the chaos, "You, who come back to life after your life is through, you, who terrorize the living remorselessly, you, who could not find the time to do all that you could in your first life, and are yet still incapable of doing it in death, do not belong here and I, Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun, shall send you back to the afterlife where you belong!"

"Amelia?" Lina, Gourry and Zelgadis all said at once.

Amelia turned, and face faulted, and then sighed, "I should have known Miss Lina was the cause of all this."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Lina said as she headed towards Amelia. Gourry held her back, "Ur, Lina, considering that she is the Princess of Seyruun, and considering that we are in Seyruun, I don't think attacking her would be such a good idea."

Lina turned to face him, "WHO ASKED YOU?"

"Never mind that! What are we going to do about these ghosts? They're everywhere!"

Lina sighed heavily. “You know, this isn’t my field.” Damn, she hated feeling incompetent! “I mean, this is the white magic capital! I’m surprised this has you all stumped.”

“Perhaps these ghosts are of Sorcerer Keran’s own making.” Zel said.

“Hm,” Lina said. She thought back to one of the spells she saw in the book she was reading. But after Scarlet’s admonitions to be more cautious Lina was a little wary of casting a spell she’d never heard of before. She looked around the library and her heart felt unusually heavy. No wonder people only listed the bad stuff when they met her!

“Well, here goes.” Lina hoped it would work, "You who are resurrected…ETERNAL SLEEP!"

And with that, all of the ghosts dropped where they were, their bodies seemingly absorbed into the floor. Lina smugly brushed her hands against each other, "Piece of cake." She said nonchalantly.

"If you could have done that the whole time…" Amelia started, horrified.

"Hey, it was a new spell, untested, I wasn't sure it would work."

Amelia sighed.

"So, Amelia, what's happening?" she said as she slapped her on the back. The librarian looked like she wanted to have a word with Lina but considering what she had learned of the sorceress decided it better to appeal to Prince Philionel directly rather than confront Lina about property damages.

"Oh, the usual. Official duties, papers and banquets. Rather dull, actually, but justice is being served. What brings you to Seyruun?"

"The prospect of a spell more powerful than the Giga Slave. Unfortunately, it isn't here. Gourry, Zel and I are leaving for Ullis tomorrow. Oh, and I guess your head archeologist is tagging along."

"Oh, so you’ve met Miss Scarlet. Wait a minute! Ullis?" Amelia repeated, her eyes widening, "The ancient city of Ullis? You know where it is?"

"Yeah, found an old map that had its location. Why?"

"In that case, I must accompany you to Ullis!"

"Sure, why not? It'll be just like old times. Anyway, what's your stake in Ullis?"

"Seyruun has been trying to find the ancient city for our own private reasons." Amelia said, folding her arms across her chest.

"Your own private reasons? Just what are you hiding from me…" Lina stopped suddenly, her eyes darting to Amelia's wrist. Sure enough, on one wrist, was her usual pink bracelet with the blue jewel, on the other, however, "Wait a minute, Amelia, where's your bracelet?"

Amelia blushed, and looked shyly at Zelgadis, "Well…"

Zelgadis blushed even more deeply than Amelia had as he brought out his canteen with the princess’s bracelet wrapped around it, "I, um, you, um, you dropped this and, um..." He said as he handed it to Amelia.

Lina clasped her hands together, "Oh that's so sweet! I didn't know you two were a couple!"

"What?" Amelia asked as she turned even redder.

"We're not a couple!" Zelgadis said. Amelia looked around and saw that all of the patrons were staring, "Could we get out of here?" she asked.

"Sure, sure," Lina said, "And on the way to Ullis City you two love birds can tell me all about it!" Putting one arm around Amelia, and another around Zelgadis, she led them out of the library with a confused Gourry in tow.

"We're not love birds." Zelgadis objected.

"Oh, this is going to be a long trip!" Amelia cried.


	2. Back Off! The Race to Ullis City!

The owner of the inn sweatdropped. Business had been slow as of late, and he had been looking for more, but Lina and company were a bit too much. "I hoped she'd never return here." He sighed, and sent one of his more patient waiters to the table where the group ceremoniously seated themselves.

"Let’s see," Lina said as she rubbed her hands together while she glanced at the menu, "I'll have this, this, this and that, oh, and a little of that. Gourry?"

"Just give me everything on the menu, double portions!" The waiter looked like he was about ready to fall over, and looked at Zel. "Bacon and eggs, with coffee, please." He said. Feeling a bit relieved, the waiter turned to the smallest of the bunch, Amelia. Certainly she couldn't have as big as an appetite as the other two with her, "Oh, I'll just everything on the menu myself, with triple portions on this, this and that."

The waiter face faulted, and solemnly turned to the kitchen and wondered how he was going to break this to the chiefs. One would think he was being marched to his death. The group paid him no mind. Whether they were simply used to that reaction or simply oblivious to it was anyone's guess. Carelessly, Lina leaned back in her chair, "So Zel, what have you been up to since we parted?" she asked.

"What else? Trying to find a cure."

"I bet that you got to see a lot of new places while traveling, Mr. Zelgadis." Amelia said.

"Hardly." He said, and then went silent. Amelia looked up at him. There was something in his eyes, something that was bothering him, something other than the usual frustration over not being able to find a cure. "Is something wrong Mr. Zelgadis?"

The food came at that moment, and Lina, Gourry and Amelia dove in with delight, the conversation forgotten. Zelgadis watched them with his usual bemused look while he sipped quietly at his coffee. He knew that any attempts at conversation were doomed to failure the instant food was placed on the table, and in this instance he was rather relieved. He really did not want to discuss what Milgasea had told him with them, but then, if the group was in danger they probably would appreciate an early warning from him. _But then,_ he thought, _whenever the four of us get together, trouble inevitably follows._

"Leggo, Gourry, its mine!" Lina spat as she reached for a drumstick that Gourry had taken.

"But Lina, you stole my pancakes!"

"After you stole my biscuits! Now gimme!"

"My, my, some things never change." An all too familiar voice said matter-of-factly.

Zelgadis tensed and sweatdropped, Lina, Gourry and Amelia face faulted into their food. "Xellos!" they all yelled together.

"Well, you don't have to sound so happy to see me. I'm here to help you, after all."

"Help us?" Lina asked, "Help us with what?"

"Why to escort you to Ullis City of course."

"I think we can manage that on our own, thank you very much."

"I totally agree." Zelgadis said, folding his arms across his chest, "You have your own plans, and they don't always coincide with ours."

"Now, now, there's no need to be rash. The task you will soon be facing is monumental indeed, and soon enough you will begin to appreciate the assistance that I will render."

Lina raised an eyebrow, "And just what task is this, Xellos?"

Xellos chuckled, "Well that is a secret!"

Lina slumped forward, "Why do I even bother? Look, thanks, but no thanks. I'm sure that whatever is ahead, we can face it together perfectly well on our own."

Xellos shrugged, "Suit yourself." And then he went and seated himself at a nearby table where several bandits had gathered for breakfast.

"Well that was strange." Amelia said, "I wonder what he's planning."

"I have no idea." Lina said as she gazed ominously at Xellos, "But whatever it is, we can be sure that he's up to no good. Keep your eyes peeled, guys! We may not let him travel openly with us, but that doesn't mean he won't be able to follow us!"

"Hey, Amelia, why don't you just sing one of your justice songs all the time to keep him at bay?" Gourry asked.

Everyone stared at the swordsman in amazement. "You know," Lina said, "That just might work."

"Oh please," Xellos said as he walked by the table on his way out, "Next thing you know you will be wearing crucifixes and garlic to keep the vampires at bay."

"TO ULLIS!" the group of bandits seated at the table Xellos had just visited rang as they clang frothy mugs of beer together.

All face faulted, "What?" Lina cried, "Why are THEY going to Ullis? How do they even know where Ullis is? Just who do they think they are, trying to steal the opportunity for me to be the first to set foot in Ullis for a millennia from me?"

"Oh, I forgot to mention," Xellos said as he suddenly reappeared again, "I decided that a bit of competition might be good for you, so I told this group of bandits about all the treasure waiting for them in Ullis and where exactly the city is. Adds a bit of excitement to your travel plans, doesn't it?"

Lina's eyes widened, her hands balled up into fists as she took a few steps towards the Mazuko, "Why you…I'M GOING TO TAKE YOU APART! I WAS JUST HAPPY GOING TO ULLIS WITH NO COMPETITION AT ALL! WHY'D YOU HAFTA GO AND SCREW THINGS UP?" she suddenly regained her composure and looked down for a minute, "Oh, you always screw things up." She raised her eyes suddenly, and death stared out of them, "WELL THIS TIME YOU'VE GONE TO FAR! Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows…"

“Now, now, Lina.” Scarlet said as she walked into the restaurant, “Have you learned nothing from our little chat yesterday? A Dragon Slave? In the middle of a city? Just think of the damage that would do to your reputation.”

Lina stopped, the wind blown out of her sails as Scarlet calmly seated herself at the table. Lina nervously put her hands on her hips, “Hey, it wasn’t like I was actually going to use it. I mean…”

Lina’s voice trailed off under the weight of her feeble excuse.

“Hm.” Scarlet said as she glanced at the menu, “At any rate, you didn’t need him to tip rival gangs off. Plenty of other researchers were interested when they heard about the mess you made at Old City Library yesterday. It appears we are now in a race to get there first.”

“Huh?” Lina blurted out.

“Waiter, tea and croissant please! Thank you, darling.” Scarlet sighed as she set her menu down.

Lina stared at her suspiciously, “And just how did these other people get the information on where Ullis is? I thought you were securing the scene.”

“Of course, but even in Seyruun, guards can be bought.”

Amelia gasped in indignation.

“Now, now, what is done is done. For now, we have to make with all due haste to Ullis.” Scarlet said as her food arrive and she started to eat. Lina thought that, for someone who had just announced they were in a race, she was eating awfully slowly.

“Lina, who is that?” Gourry asked.

“Scarlet Rubaka. She’s an archaeologist.”

“A what?”

Lina sighed and shook her head, “Let’s just say she could be of use to us in Ullis, so she’ll be traveling with us. Get it?”

“Got it.” He said with a smile.

“Well, Miss Lina, if you aren’t going to blow me up with a Dragon Slave, then I really must be leaving. Good luck on your way to Ullis.”

“Just announce it to the whole town why don’t you?” Lina muttered as he left.

Zelgadis sighed as he decided that now was as good a time as any to share the news he had. "I can't say I'm all that surprised Xellos showed up. Milgasea told me something was up."

"Milgasea!" Lina and Amelia chimed together while Scarlet exclaimed, “That was Xellos!?”

"Milkgaseekow?" Gourry asked, "Who’s that?"

Lina grabbed his shirt, "The golden dragon who showed us where the Claire Bible was when we were pursed by Gaav and Phibrizo, bring back any memories?"

Gourry scratched his head, "Nope, not a single one!"

Lina sighed and released her hold on Gourry, "Why do I even bother? Anyway, Zel, just what did Milgasea have to say, and just what were you doing visiting with him anyways? I didn't know that you two were so close."

"If you must know, I was wondering if Milgasea would allow me to see the Claire Bible, but that's beside the point. He didn't tell me much, he only told me that we would be facing a danger far greater than any of the ones we have faced in the past, and that our chances of surviving this one are slim."

"And you didn't bother telling us something as important as this because…?" Lina asked, her voice low.

Zelgadis tugged at his collar, "Well, you see…"

"Nevermind that," Amelia said, "If we're facing a danger far greater than any other we've faced, than we must rush to Ullis City with speed! Miss Scarlet, please hurry and finish your breakfast! Miss Lina will be definitely be needing that spell now, and the investment that Seyruun has in the city might be of help as well. For that reason I suggest that we make haste to Ullis City and leave at once!"

"She has a point." Gourry said.

Scarlet wiped her fingers on a napkin, “Very well. Off we go.”

Lina nodded, "Well, standing here certainly won't accomplish anything. Alright, Ullis City, here we come!"  


* * *

  
"So Amelia," Lina said over a blazing campfire that the group was clustered around, "What exactly is this item that Seyruun is after?"

"Oh that?" Amelia asked, "I'd prefer not to talk about it until I determine whether or not it really resides in Ullis."

"Okay," Lina said, but her smile said something else, "And just why are you being so secretive about this?"

"Umm…" Amelia began.

"It’s not like you're going to leave us in the dark after you find it, are you?" Gourry asked.

"Well, no…" Amelia said.

"Then why not tell us now?"

"You two are just going to have to accept that as royalty, you are not always entitled to know all that Amelia does." Zelgadis said.

“A capital point.” Scarlet added.

"Hey, Zel, whose side are you on?" Lina asked.

"I mean, if whatever it is Amelia is interested in would benefit any of us in any way, I trust that she would share it with us, don't you?" he was talking to Lina, but he was looking at Amelia.

"Oh Mr. Zelgadis!" Amelia said, "You never told us whether you got to see the Claire Bible to find a cure!"

"Umm, well. No."

"Why not?" Lina asked, "Did the Claire Bible not have a cure, or where you unable to see it."

"I'd prefer not to talk about it." Zel grumbled.

"Well," Lina said as she stood up and exchanged a look with Gourry, who had also stood up, "I think I'll just leave you two secretive people be and head off to bed." Suddenly, she smiled and pivoted. She wrung her arms back and screamed, "BURST RONDO!" A blaze of light appeared in the bushes that had been behind her, causing men to scream as they ran from the inferno.

Gourry had drawn out his sword and cut through the bushes that had hidden several more bandits. Zel and Amelia stood up, ready to attack, but the bandits had more or less been scattered by Lina and Gourry. Meanwhile, Scarlet calmly remained by the campfire. Lina grabbed a bandit, "Just who are you, and why are you spying on us?"

"Jaks!" he shouted, "My name is Jaks. We was just seein' what chu was doin'. We meant to harm, honest!"

"Just what exactly is your destination?"

"Well, we was…"

"You'd better tell the truth, or I just might have to beat you up."

"Ullis City!" he shouted, "Honest, please!"

"Leave." Lina said as she let him go, "And tell your friends to stay clear of Ullis City, or they just might have to face me, Lina Inverse! The Beautiful Sorcery Genius!"

"Lina Inverse!" he cried, "It can't be! The Flat Chested Terror!"

"FIRE…!"

“Lina!” Scarlet snapped. “Isn’t that a tad excessive?”

Lina bristled, “Well how else am I supposed to drive home a point?”

Scarlet stood up and dusted her hands on her skirt. Then she reached into her pockets. From her right she pulled out an apple, from the left a knife. She brought the knife to the apple, “Jaks, have you ever skinned someone alive?”

Jaks made a strange, strangled noise.

Somehow, Scarlet peeled the skin from the apple without breaking it. She held it up for him to see and smiled politely, “Well, it’s been awhile, but I must say it’s a skill that you never lose. Overall it is a rather dreadful business, very messy and bloody, so I’d much rather not do it again, but if you don’t pack your bags and leave and abandon your quest for Ullis City, I very well may.”

Jaks ran away screaming.

* * *

  


"This is it?" Zelgadis asked.

Lina frowned at the map she was reading, "Well, according to this map, it is."

"All I see is a bunch of vines." Amelia said.

Lina stared at the mass of foliage ahead of her as she thought through her options. Usually she would mow it down with a spell. But she could not deny that there was some truth to what Scarlet said when she pointed out that her reputation was less than stellar. Then Lina grinned. She had endured Scarlet’s critiques of her methods for the past week. It was time to see Scarlet deliver on her high ground.

“Well, I do believe this is a task for Scarlet.” Lina said as she folded her arms across her chest.

“Indeed.” Scarlet agreed as she considered the mass of vines. “We must be careful. For all we know those vines are the only thing holding up a crumbling wall or other structure. Very well, I’ll try a few sonar spells. While I’m busy with that, would you be a dear and take care of these bandits?”

“Bandits?” Lina repeated dumbly.

Suddenly they were surrounded by bandits, and lots of them. "Oh these guys!" Lina exclaimed as she threw her hands at her head, "Why did they have to come now? Why can't they just leave us alone? Why can't they just take a hint? Why don't they just take a FIREBALL!"

Gourry charged then, taking on several bandits at once and disarming them with his usual skill. "FLARE ARROW!" Amelia yelled. "BURST RONDO!" Zelgadis yelled and many balls of light appeared amongst the group of bandits, burning them and causing them run away. Bandits were not known for their brains, and were quickly scattered with no sense of organization whatsoever. In the end, most turned tail and ran. Except for one figure who advance towards them while he clapped.

“Well done, well done indeed!” Xellos said.

Lina scowled, “Well done? What are you getting at, Xellos? You know these thugs are beneath us.”

Xellos had barely opened his mouth to reply when suddenly Scarlet yelled, “ZELAS BRID!”

“Huh?” Xellos said as a ribbon of energy appeared from Scarlet’s finger and ran straight towards him. Xellos barely dodged it.

Scarlet tsked as Lina blinked in amazement. She’d heard a bit about the Zelas Brid since she started researching Keran’s works, but she’d never seen it in action. Such power! She made a note to asked Scarlet about it later.

“What was that about?” Zelgadis asked.

“That’s Xellos, right?” Scarlet said, “Otherwise known as Beastmaster? And a powerful, evil monster?”

“Well, yes.” Lina said.

“I was just seeing if I could nab him when he wasn’t expecting it. Almost did.”

Lina felt like tearing her hair out, “So you just deliberately picked a fight with a very powerful monster? And you call me reckless?”

“Lina, darling, he is going to have to be destroyed at some point. Letting him continue to live is far more reckless than attempting to kill him. Sure, I may die in the process, but at least I can say I tried.” Scarlet said.

“So you’ll pick a battle you can’t win just to say you tried?” Lina asked.

“But Lina, darling, you tried to throw a Dragon Slave at him the last time we saw him.” Scarlet pointed out.

Lina reddened, “Yeah, but I didn’t actually think it would kill him! Leave him in pain for a bit perhaps…”

“Rather foolish of you, wasting so much magical energy on something so frivolous.” Scarlet pointed out.

“Why you…”

Gourry put a hand on Lina’s shoulder. Scarlet spun around and ducked as Xellos materialized in front of her and just barely dodged the spell he lobbed at her. “BALUS WALL!” she yelled.

“Taste of your own medicine?” he asked.

Scarlet grinned. “Bring it on.”

“Is…is she provoking him?” Amelia asked nervously as she glanced at Zelgadis.

Lina shook her head in disbelief. From behind her Gourry whispered, “Lina, what should we do?”

Xellos grinned as he disappeared and rematerialized behind Scarlet. He poked her shoulder with his finger and leaned in close to her ear to whisper, “Boo!”

Scarlet pivoted and fired off a spell just as he disappeared again. When he rematerialized in front of her he swung his staff towards her chest, and stopped just before he hit it, “Nice try.” He said, “But you have no idea who you’re messing with.”

Scarlet smirked. “Neither do you.”

“Until next time.” Xellos said as he teleported away.

Lina let go of a breath she was holding as Scarlet dusted herself off cavalierly. She didn’t even appear to have ruffled any feathers! Lina marveled at how someone who had done little but critique her reckless methods for the past week could herself be so foolhardy.

“Well now,” Scarlet said as she headed back to the vine covered wall. “Off to Ullis.”

“W-wait a minute!” Lina said, “What was that about?”

“Lina, darling, you do have eyes. I think it was perfectly clear what I was trying to do. Cleanse this world of monsters. Bring it closer to perfection.” Scarlet said.

“Look, there’s no denying that monsters are evil and up to no good.” Lina said, “But it’s the height of folly to challenge one like that!”

“Miss Lina’s right.” Amelia said, “Especially someone like Xellos.”

But Scarlet merely picked up some notes and glanced at them before she stared back at the wall. “Now, here’s a good spot.” She muttered, “PATHWAY!”

A path opened through the mass of vines, and Lina could discern the ruins of a city within. Scarlet was about to step through when she reflected and turned to the group, “Listen. That monster may have been of use to you in the past, but his ultimate aims are no good. And the longer you permit him to live, the more damage he does. And I would never let such a trivial matter as worrying about my own piddling life get in the way of the greater good. Someone must act, and I did. And while I did not succeed, I’m not exactly dead now, am I?”

The group all stared at her in exasperation.

“Very well then. Off to Ullis!”

And with that she set off into the pathway, leaving the other four gaping at her.  



	3. Caught! The Ancient Ullisian Trap!

"Ullis City," Lina said as she and the group walked through the ruins that, a millennia ago, had been a great city, "This place was a beacon for magic users. All of the greats studied here, though their knowledge is now lost to us. And after all this years, I am the first person to travel through it again! Man, I'm going to be famous!"  


"You're already infamous enough as is." Zelgadis chimed in.  


Lina spun around, "And just what is that supposed to mean?"  


"Hey Lina," Gourry asked, "Where are we going to find this Sorcerer Karen's works?"  


"It’s Sorcerer Keran, you idiot! And anyway I have no idea.” Lina folded her arms across her chest, “How about you, Scarlet?”

 

“I did manage to find a detailed map of the city that you had overlooked.” Scarlett said as she started flipping through her notes. Lina fumed silently as Scarlet chirped, “Found it. Now then, Princess Amelia, I do believe you were interested in the location of Ullis City Hospital.”

 

“The hospital?” Lina said, “What, did Keran work there?”

 

“Not that we know of,” Amelia said, “But Miss Scarlet is right.”

 

“Well, according to this map the hospital is to the west of us.”

 

“And what about Sorcerer Keran’s lab?” Lina asked.

 

“That, most unfortunately, is not on the map.”

 

“I guess it'd be best if we split up and started looking. Zel, Amelia, head west, Gourry and I will head east, Scarlet, where are you wanting to go?”

 

“I must insist that Miss Scarlet accompany us.” Amelia said.

 

“That settles that, then.” Scarlet said. “Right then, follow me!”

 

 “We’ll meet back here at dinner time!" Lina yelled after them, relieved that Scarlet was leaving with them.  


"Alright!" Gourry said.

 

"Wait a minute, Gourry," Lina said, "East is this way!"

* * *

 

Lina kicked open the door and looked around eagerly. Gourry sighed, "Hmmm, looks just like another ordinary home."  


"Yeah," Lina said, "Doesn't look much like a place a great sorcerer would live in. Anyway, best look around to make sure!"  


Gourry sighed, and leaned against a crumbling wall. She was only looking for more treasure. She had thoroughly ransacked the previous houses they'd been in, and she showed no sign of slowing down. "Alright," Gourry said, "I'll just wait here then, and look out in case any of those bandits show up again."  


"Okay!" Lina said, but she was more or less immersed in trying to open some chest that wasn't responding well to her usual magic spells.  


Gourry leaned back and suddenly the crumbly wall became the remains of a crumbled wall. "Gourry!" Lina yelled, rushing to him, "Gourry, are you alright?"  


Gourry sat up, dazed, "I'm fine, but we should probably get out of here. I don't want to risk the roof caving in on us, right Lina? Um, Lina, what are you staring at?"  


She slapped him on the shoulder, "Good going Gourry! A secret entrance! This has to be it!"  


"Huh? A secret entrance?" Gourry stood and turned around. Sure enough the wall had crumbled to reveal a doorway at which a flight of stairs lay under.  


"Let’s go!" Lina said, and off she took down the stairs. After a few minutes, one could hear her yell, "LIGHTING!" and illumination spread through the ancient stairwell. "Hey Lina," Gourry said, "Wait up!"

* * *

 

"So, now are you going to tell me what it is at Ullis City Hospital that Seyruun has such a vested interest in?” Zel asked.

 

“Not yet.” Amelia said cheerfully as they followed Scarlet.  


"It's not like you to be so secretive."  


"You shouldn't talk, Mr. Zelgadis, it’s not like you tell me everything!"  


Zelgadis sweatdropped, "Yeah, well…"  


"Oh, there it is! Come on, Mr. Zelgadis, we're almost there!"  


She ran off to a building and overtook Scarlet in her excitement to get there. Scarlet sighed in exasperation, “Princess, wait! We have no idea how well the structure has held up or…or…oh, good riddance! Well, don’t blame me if the floor falls out from under you!”

 

Amelia had wasted no time in levitating to the top of the hospital. Zelgadis was about to follow her, but stopped when he noticed that Scarlet was unpacking her tools. “Are you coming?” he asked.

 

“Certainly not!” Scarlet bristled, “The princess is being incredibly reckless. That building has been crumbling for a millennia! There are tests I must run first to make sure the structure is safe, then I must make sure everything is documented before I go rummaging through it. Honestly I hate to think of the damage she is doing to this site.”

 

Scarlet continued to set up her equipment and Zelgadis sighed. Well, for once it was good to not be the stick in the mud, “We’ll catch up with you later then.”

 

“And I thought you were supposed to be the sensible one. Right then. Seems I’m alone in that regard.” Scarlet said as Zel levitated up to catch up with Amelia.

* * *

 

It seemed as though they had been going down the staircase forever, and they might well have, for Lina's light spell was starting to dim. "Gee, Lina, how much longer will we have to go down these stairs? If we keep going for too long, we might miss dinner!"  


"Hold it, Gourry, look." Sure enough, like the last staircase she had climbed down, writing was starting to appear along the walls. "It’s Keran alright. Looks like we're on the right trial."  


Gourry looked at the walls curiously, "I think it says to turn back or something horrible will befall upon you."  


Lina face faulted, "Where did you learn to read this antiquated language?"  


Gourry shrugged and smiled, "Where I come from everyone can read Quinti."  


"Quinti?" Lina sighed as she waved her wrist, "Alright, whatever. You never cease to surprise me, Gourry. What else do you have hidden up there?"  


"Uhhh…"  


"Nevermind, nevermind, come on, we're getting closer to Keran's laboratory!" she said as she took off down the stairs.  


"But Lina," Gourry said as he kept close at her heels, "Shouldn't we take heed of the warning?"  


"Oh don't bother! All sorcerers have something like that to scare the timid. At any rate, whatever he has in store it'll be no worse than anything that we've faced before."  


"Alright then," Gourry said as they raced down the endless stairs together. They ran, and they ran, and they ran until they finally both collapsed into a heap of exhaustion. "I don't get it!" Lina said between pants, "We should have run into something by now!"  


"Uh, Lina, you can read Quinti, right?"  


"Yes, why…Oh." Lina said. All around her was the inscription, "Ha, ha, you went too far!"  


"A hidden entrance and a decoy staircase. Come on, Gourry, this calls for some serious investigation." She said as she grabbed his hand, "LEVITATION!"

* * *

 

"If you just told me what you're searching for we'd have a much easier time finding it." Zelgadis said for the umpteenth time as they had finally made it down from the top 45th floor to the ground floor. And after that, there were still the basement levels to check. "Oh!" Amelia said excitedly, "I think I might have found it!" she frowned suddenly, "Oops, my mistake. Come on, Mr. Zelgadis, let's check out the basements."  


Zelgadis sighed, "Right, right."  


Zelgadis glanced out the window and noticed that Scarlet was still outside. She looked like she had a blanket in front of her and was flipping through the pages of her journal. Zel marveled at how, even after all of the time they had spent searching the hospital, Scarlet had still not deemed the structure safe to enter.

 

“Well, it doesn’t look like it’s here.” Amelia said, “I guess it’s time to move to the basement.”

 

They searched the first basement floor and found nothing. Then the second, and the third, and still found nothing. By the time they had gotten to the fourth, Zelgadis was about ready to call it quits when Amelia called out, "Oh, here it is!"

 

Zelgadis rushed by her side, "Are you sure this time?"  


"Positive!" Amelia said. They were in the remains of a laboratory, in which there had been a safe. Zelgadis had pulled out his rather handy lock pick kit and had opened it. Guess no one would have thought that with all the magic using people here that someone would have picked up the art of lock picking and failed to provide safeguards against it.  


"Well, what is it?" Zelgadis asked. It was a jewel about the size of his thumbnail that he couldn’t easily identify. It was the color of white vine and did not look like any of the more common jewels, but its clarity led Zel to believe that it was valuable. Still, he didn’t see how it could be of any use to anyone but Lina.

 

"Why the Jewel of Rajah, of course." Amelia said matter-of-factly.  


Zelgadis face faulted, "The Jewel of Rajah! The jewel that can perform any healing spell? The jewel known to have healed thousands at the battlefield of Omarai? The jewel whose healing powers are seemingly infinite, and that could cure…I thought it was a myth!"  


"Oh, it’s no myth. I just didn't want to say anything to get your hopes up, but this jewel might be able to return you back to your human form, Mr. Zelgadis! I just have to find out how to work it first." Amelia said as she reached into the safe to pick it up.  


Reverting back to his human form. It had been what he had been wanting for so long now, but yet, Milgasea's warning rang clear in his mind. He might have brushed it off, had not Xellos shown up. Would reverting back to his human form cause him to lose his magic powers and endanger the group? Would he really want to lose his magic powers? He looked at Amelia and wondered if he should accept her gift or not. But then, how could he refuse it without explaining everything to her? Well, better Amelia than Lina or Gourry. He took a deep breath, "Amelia, I have something I need to discuss with you."  


"Oh?" Amelia asked as she turned to face him, "And what is that, Mr. Zelgadis?"  


He didn't have a chance to say anything else. The door slammed shut, alarms sounded and next thing they knew, they were being forced to the floor as about a dozen magic spells built into the walls went off over their heads.

* * *

 

"DAM BRASS!" Lina yelled as she broke a hole through the wall. She rubbed her hands together, brushed the dust off of them, and admired her handiwork. After seemingless hours of searching, they had finally found that the wall was hollow at that particular spot. "Alright!" Lina said as she saw that the hole in the wall led into a hallway, "Let’s go, Gourry!"  


"Right behind you, Lina!" he said as they took off down the hallway together…and then skidded to a halt.  


"Ugh!" Lina said, taking a step or two back.  


"What's that?" Gourry asked, his voice raising a few octaves.  


In front of them was one of the most hideous creatures either had ever seen. It was at least three times the size of Gourry, and seemed to be made of greases that ran in stick streams down its "body." It most definitely had a mouth, though, as it demonstrated by opening it wide in anticipation of Lina and Gourry walking right in. Needless to say, they had other plans.  


"Well, whatever it is, it's in the way of me and my spell. I think that calls for a FIREBALL!" Lina watched with excitement and pride as the ball of fire flew right into the creature's mouth, and forced it to close and swallow, "Alright, victory! Huh!?"  


The creature burped and, instead of dying, expanded. "Oh I don't believe this!" Lina cried, "It feeds off fire! Why can't it just lay down and die like a good creature, huh?"  


"Aurgh!" Gourry cried as he ran, sword drawn, to attack to creature. He jumped, raised his sword high, intending to cut it in two as he fell. When he came to the height of the parabolic trajectory and brought his sword down with all his might, however, instead of the sword cleaving the creature in two, the creature's greasy hide turned out to be sticky as well, impeding the sword's downward movement and effectively gluing the sword to the creature. "Huh?" Gourry asked, and then suddenly he was being shaken violently from side to side by the creature as it tried to force the swordsman to release his grip on the sword.  


"If fire doesn't work than how about a DOLPH STRASH!" she yelled, and a supersonic spear flew at the creature.  


Lina face faulted once again, however, when the creature simply absorbed the spell, and in turn grew even larger. "I am completely dumbfounded." With one tremendous effort, it finally rid itself of Gourry and sent him speeding down towards Lina, knocking her over. "GOURRY, GET OFF ME!" she yelled, and then she looked up, "Huh?" Standing right above her was the creature, and he looked hungry. "FIREBALL!" Lina yelled, and then Gourry suddenly moved, diverting her aim to shift to the creature's right, and sent the ball of fire flying through the hallway. The creature turned and ran after it like a dog. Shakily, Gourry got up, "Whoa, what just happened."  


"It would seem as though Keran created a creature that absorbs magic spells and is oblivious to swords to guard his spell. Looks like its easily distracted however. Come on, Gourry, that spell is still waiting for us!"

* * *

 

"WINDY SHIELD!" Zel and Amelia shouted, and then they stood back to back to form a shield on all sides around them, blocking the horde of firepower aimed at them. The plan was to maintain the shield until the room's firepower died down and then to run for it, but as they waited the sheer volume of firepower did not seem to die down. "One thing's for sure!" Zelgadis yelled, "Whoever built this trap built it to last!"  


"To use such violent means to protect and object of healing is most unjust!" Amelia said.  


"Amelia, hold the shield, I've got an idea!" Zelgadis said as he dropped out of the spell and down to one knee. He then slammed his hand on the ground and yelled, "DUG HAUT!" causing many stone spears to come out of the ground. "Amelia take cover, I'll cast a Dil Brand and then get ready to fly out of here before the roof caves in on us!"  


"Right!" Amelia yelled as she dropped out of the spell and took cover behind a stone spear near Zelgadis so she wouldn't get caught in the blast. "DIL BRAND!" Zelgadis yelled as he sent a wave of energy outward to destroy his stone pillars and the walls from which the magic attack was coming. "RAYWING!" they yelled as they avoided the debris falling around them and flew up through the gap that had once been a wall. Already the roof was starting to cave in, and Zel and Amelia made haste to the stairs and did not stop until they were on ground level.  


"Well," Amelia said, "I guess we took care of that. Now time to find Miss Lina and Mr. Gourry…Oh."  


"It appears escape won't be that easy." Zelgadis said as they stared at the giant arachnid in their path.

* * *

 

Lina and Gourry took off down the corridor at full speed, "We're getting close to that spell now, I can feel it!" Lina said cheerily as they ran.  


"Good, let’s get it and get out of here before that creature decides to come back."  


"Right! Oh, there it is! That door must lead to Keran's laboratory!"  


It didn't seem like the petite sorceress could run much faster, but it’s amazing what one will do out of greed, and sure enough, she increased her speed by another few notches, only to skid to a halt as the creature appeared suddenly in front of the door. This time, however, it was not growling and snarling. In fact, its tongue was hanging out of its mouth while he panted happily as he ran to Lina. Lina recoiled back in disgust as she put up her arms to ward herself against the creature as she moaned noises of fear as the creature licked her. Lina stood in a puddle of creature drool, soaked from head to foot as she made retching sounds. Gourry stood back as he surveyed the situation, amused, "I think he likes you." He said.  


"This is worse than being kissed by Noonsa!" she said.  


"Who?" Gourry asked.  


"Oh, nevermind!" she turned her attention to the creature and yelled as she aimed down the hallway, "FIREBALL!" Like a puppy, the creature took after it, and Lina proceeded to the door.  


"No really, Lina, who kissed you?"  


"UNLOCK!" she said as she ignored Gourry's question. The lock obeyed (it would have been a rather stupid lock not to…Even locks were starting to learn not to get on Lina Inverse's bad side!) and the door opened, and Lina stepped in as though she owned the place.  


"Hey Lina," Gourry said as he followed her into Sorcerer Keran's laboratory, "May be we should keep it, the creature. I mean, it would be good to have around for defense…" Lina turned and glared at him, "…Or maybe not."  


Lina turned back around and started digging through the pile of papers on Keran's desk. "Well, I do have to get my sword back from that thing, or we'll have to stop by town sometime and find a new one for me."  


"Alright, Gourry, go right up to the creature and ask it real nicely for your sword back." Lina said, all sugar and spice like.  


Gourry sighed, and started kicking around dust as Lina immersed herself in Keran's writings. Writings on ancient methods of sorcery might be of interest to Lina, but to Gourry they held absolutely no interest whatsoever. He started looking around and then stopped as his eyes caught onto something shiny. He walked towards it. Could it be? It was! Gourry picked up the sword carefully, running his finger along the blade. Amazingly enough, after a millennia stuck in a basement, it was still sharp enough to draw blood! "Hmm…" Gourry muttered to himself as he took a few practice swings with it. Its balance was good, and it seemed to hum with a power that ordinary swords didn't. He looked around to see if there was anything that could give him a clue as to what it was and, to his disappointment, found no such marker. His thoughts were interrupted by Lina's cheerful, "Here it is! I found it!"  


He sheathed the sword. No reason not to take it with him, and Lina would be happy to save a few coppers on a replacement. "Can we go now?" he asked, and then frowned as the color drained from her face. "Lina what is it? Is something wrong with the spell?"  


"Well, part of the spell is here alright it's just that…it can't be!"  


"What?" Gourry asked.  


"To get the next clue for the completion of the spell I have to go to Zefiel City!"  


"Zefiel City?" Gourry repeated, "Didn't you say you were from there?"  


"Well…yes."  


"What's wrong with that, then? It’s good to go home after a long journey."  


Lina screamed, "You don't understand! My sister is there!"  


"Come on Lina, your sister can't be that bad."  


"After what I did to her, oh yes she can!"  


"Well what did you do to her?"  


"Err…" Lina said as she blushed slightly, "Well, I'm from a merchant family, and business was going slow and we were in need of some cash you see so…To make an extra buck or two for the family I sorta took projections of her bathing and had people pay to see them…" she said, her voice becoming more and more of a mutter until she finished.  


"You did that to your own sister? What were you thinking?"  


"Hey! I had the good of the family at heart!"  


"Nevermind that, what are you going to do?"  


Lina thought for a moment, "Well, I might not be too excited about it, but I guess there’s no choice but to go home.”

 

She stared morbidly at the floor. Gourry patted her on the back, “Hey, it probably won’t be that bad. You’ve been gone for a long time. Certainly everything has blown over.”

 

Lina gave a weak smiled, “I guess. Anyway, guess we’d best meet up with the others.”

 

But as he followed her out of the laboratory, Gourry could not shake the feeling that they had yet to reach the root of Lina’s reluctance to go home.

 


	4. Duck and Cover! The Town of the Dead!

Lina paced back and forth while Gourry sat on a bench and polished his sword. "Oh, where could they be?" Lina asked, "The sun is starting to set, I've missed my lunch, the nearest town is miles from here and I'm hungry!"  


"May be we should start looking for them." Gourry suggested.  


"And where should we start, Gourry? This place is huge! Searching for them could take forever, and my poor stomach doesn't want to wait that long!"  


"Gee, Lina, aren't you the least bit worried about them?"  


"Of course I am." Lina said, "If they don't get back here soon, I'll never get a decent meal tonight. Oh, where could they be?"  


Gourry sighed, and continued polishing his sword.

* * *

 

"Beast who obstructs the path of justice by standing in the way of Allies of Justice on a mission to cure the world with this treasure you so selfishly protect, I, Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun, will not stand by and allow your evil to prevail. Stand down, or be destroyed!" Amelia was standing on top of a rather conveniently placed pillar in the middle of the entryway to what had once been a great hospital. Zelgadis was at the bottom of the pillar, shaking his head. Between them and the exit to the hospital was a giant arachnid. The two might have felt bit more confident, but considering that the last time they went up against a giant arachnid they had lost badly, neither were exactly inspired with confidence…Despite Amelia's justice speech.  


Well, to put it shortly, the arachnid wasn't all that impressed with Amelia's justice speech, and retaliated by sending a glob of sticky thread at her. Amelia, however, had no intention of ever being wound in thread like a fly again (that one time in Halshiform's lab had given her nightmares for weeks!) and she had prepared a spell to defend against it, just in case. "CHAOS STRING!" she yelled, and magical strings appeared out of her own hand and countered the sticky thread being thrown at her, stopped it in its tracks and entangled with it, and caused the thread to fall harmlessly to the ground.  


"ASTRAL VINE!" Zelgadis yelled as he charged at the arachnid. He ran under it, and lifted his sword high to cut the soft underbelly of the arachnid, and made it out the other side before the beast collapsed.  


"Mr. Zelgadis?" Amelia called, "RAYWING!" she said as she flew down to the corpse of the arachnid.

"I'm fine, Amelia." He said as he sheathed his sword as she landed near him, "Now, let’s get out of here for good. This place is becoming more and more like a death trap."

 

“Well, I do hate to say I told you so, but I told you so.” Scarlet said. Zel and Amelia jumped as she walked up to them. She looked livid.

 

“Look at this atrium! It is destroyed! I hate to think of the damage done to the other parts of this building!”

 

“But look, we found the Jewel of Rajah!” Amelia said as she got the jewel out.

 

“And it would have still been there waiting for us if you had taken the time to use the proper precautions. Now who knows how much valuable information has been lost to us forever?” Scarlet countered, “Such as how to activate it, perhaps?”

 

Amelia blanched. Scarlet sternly looked at Amelia’s arm, “Your arm is bleeding. Why not use the Jewel of Rajah to heal it?”

 

“Fine.” Amelia said as she summoned every ounce of will power she had to get the jewel to work. _Come on, Amelia! You can do this! The Power of Justice is on your side!_

 

But nothing happened.

 

Amelia tried a few chants, but still nothing happened. Out of desperation she tried rotating the jewel three times, but still nothing happened. Amelia thought briefly about singing to it, but she realized that then she would really look pathetic. Scarlet had been right. They had the jewel, but no idea how to get it to work. For the time being, it was useless. Egg faced, Amelia had to resort to an ordinary Recovery spell.

 

“See now? Even a powerful jewel is nothing if you can’t figure out how to work it. What if a manuscript detailing how to do so was down in that basement you so thoroughly wrecked?” Amelia sighed miserably while Zel looked as impassive as ever under Scarlet’s tongue lashing that she continued all the way back to the meet up point with Lina and Gourry.

* * *

 

"Zel, Amelia, Scarlet!" Lina yelled as they came into view, "Where have you been? The sun has almost set and I'm hungry!"  


"No choice then," Zel said, "We'll just have to camp out here for the night."  


"Oh, and I was so ready for a big meal after a long hard day at work!" Lina said, "But on second thought, it means that much longer I'll be able to stay away from Zefiel City…"  


"Zefiel City?" Amelia asked, "You're from Zefiel City, aren't you? Why would you want to stay away from home?"  


"Hm, let’s see, I’m not particularly keen on seeing my sister."  


"Then why are you going home?" Zelgadis asked.  


"Because another piece of the spell I need is in Zefiel City." Lina explained, her patience straining.  


"What did you find out about the spell this time?" Amelia asked.  


Lina slumped as her face took on a slightly bluish tint, "Only that what I need to find will be in Zefiel City."  


"It wasn't a total loss, though!" Gourry chimed in as he held up his new sword, "Look at what I found!"  


Lina turned to face him. She had been so caught up in her despair over going home she had not even noticed that Gourry had picked up a new sword, "And just where did you find that, Gourry?"  


"In Sorcerer Kern's lab!"  


Lina didn't even bother to correct him on Sorcerer Keran's name. "Let me see that." She said.  


"But you’ve got to give it back." Gourry said, dubiously handing it to her.  


"Yeah, yeah." Lina said, "It’s not like you came to have it legally."  


Gourry face faulted, "You should be the one to talk, Lina!"

 

“So, you found Sorcerer Keran’s lab?” Scarlet asked. “I daresay I hope it isn’t destroyed.”

 

“No, and you’re welcome to look atr it yourself, but I’ll warn you, you don’t want to mess with Keran’s pet.” Lina explained as her eyes widened as she studied the sword. "Whoa! The power it radiates is incredible! There’s some strange writing on the blade but I don’t recognize it. Scarlet?”

 

Scarlet looked at the blade and shook her head, “It’s not any writing system I’ve studied.”

 

Lina looked thoughtful for a moment, "Hey Gourry, how much…"  


Gourry quickly snatched the sword from her, "Forget it, Lina."  


"Look at what Mr. Zelgadis and I found," Amelia said. "The Jewel of Rajah!" she held it up for all to see, and Lina's eyes grew three sizes.  


"The Jewel of Rajah?" she echoed, "I thought it was a myth!" Her eyes returned to their normal size, "Unfortunately, it’s not of much use to me." She thought for a moment, "Zel, on the other hand."  


"First Amelia has to figure out how to work it," Zelgadis pointed out, "Then we can worry about whether or not to use it on me."  


All face faulted, "Whether or not to use it?" Lina repeated.  


"But hasn't returning to your human form been what you wanted, Mr. Zelgadis?" Amelia asked.  


"It has," Zelgadis said, "But there are some complications with that that I had not figured in before."  


"Like?" Lina asked. Just then, the sun set completely and a desolate wind swept across the camp. All four stood to attention, eyes peeled and ears opened. Zel's ears twitched. A low moaning sound was heard throughout the town, and Gourry raised his sword while the others readied their magic. The sound of grisly footsteps echoed through the ghost town, yet not a soul stirred. "Where…Where are they?" Amelia asked.  


"We’re surrounded.” Gourry whispered.  


"What?” Lina balked, “Where?”

 

"LIGHTING!" Amelia yelled, and an orb of light appeared overhead illuminating the town. Humanoid figures surrounded them, each one as pitch black as night so that they blended in perfectly.  


"Wow, Gourry," Lina commented, "How did you know they were there?"  


"You don't get to be a good swordsman without having good instincts." Gourry said.  


"But who are they?" Amelia asked.

 

As if they realized that their element of surprise was blown, the moaning sound they made transformed into a horrendous banshee shriek. Amelia covered her ears as Lina gritted her teeth. Scarlet glared at the crowd of black figures as they advanced towards them. “What is it you want?” she asked.

 

In response, one broke from the group and charged at them, making the unmistakable sound of an attack call as it did.  


“FIREBALL!" Lina yelled.  


Fire sprang from her hands and at a cluster of the mysterious humanoids. The one charging at them fell to the ground as it was hit by the magical energy. And once it was dissipated it casually got right up. "What?" Lina yelled.

 

"ELMEKIA LANCE!" Zel and Amelia chanted. The humanoids in the path of their spell fell instantly, but there were more to take their place. "It would appear that these are spirit beings." Zel said.  


"Spirit beings?" Lina repeated, "Hey Amelia…"  


"Right with you, Miss Lina," she said, "HOLY BLESS!"  


Amelia slumped down. Holy Bless took a tremendous amount of energy, and it was one that she would definitely not be able to cast again until she'd gotten some sleep. She looked up to see the results of the spell and sweatdropped, "It didn't work?"  


"Looks like these undead are fairly high level." Lina commented.  


"Oh, they're getting closer!" Amelia said.  


"Well," Lina said, "looks like there's only one option left to us now. RAYWING!" she yelled as she grabbed Gourry.  


Zel followed suit as he grabbed Amelia as she had drained her magical energy casting the Holy Bless. "Damn!" Zelgadis said, "They're following us!"  


Sure enough the undead of Ullis City were floating up towards the group. Lina floated back to the ground. Zel followed suit. "Alright, I've got an idea," Lina said, "BLAST ASH!"  


It had about the same effect as the Elmekia Lance. All too soon the bodies were upon them. The five stood back-to-back as they dodged blows from the creatures. Lina, Zel and Scarlet threw a few spells out, but there were always more humanoids to replace the ones that had fallen. Amelia fought them with her bare fists, but without her Visfarank spell, her blows were ineffective. Gourry decided that he had little to lose from testing his new sword, and as he swung through the press of bodies that advanced upon him, he found that it easily cleaved them in two. So effective was it in cutting through the bodies that eventually one of them issued a retreat call, and they vanished back into the city.  


"Wow!" Gourry exclaimed as he looked at his new sword, “That was better than I was expecting.”

 

“How did…” Lina started but she was cut off by Zel.  


“I think that sticking around here would be a bad idea. We should camp outside the town tonight. We'll ask questions later."  


"LIGHTING!" Lina called, in case they decided to attack again, and then she lead the way out of Ullis, lost in thought. Behind her she heard Zel ask Scarlet, "Do you know anything about Ullis's fall? I mean, a millennia ago it was one of the biggest centers of magic in the world, a booming prosperous town. Yet, as far as I can gather, for apparently no reason it just seemingly disappeared from the face of the world one day. Do you have any idea what had happened?"  


“It’s a given that the mystery of Ullis's fall is one of the most intriguing in the world. I'd always suspected that the Sorcerer's Guild knew something, but for reasons unknown, they weren’t speaking. Top secret priority."  


Zel folded his arms across his chest, "I'm not about to believe that stopped you from finding out what they knew."

  
“Right on! After months of searching in the dustiest archives in long, forgotten basements I did find something.” Scarlet admitted. "It wasn’t much though. Apparently the guild did not know as much as we would presume. All they knew was that a sorcerer caused it all, likely Keran. Some experiment gone awry. Whatever it was, it must have been rather horrendous and hushed up early on."  


"What makes you say that?"  


"Because the records that detailed what had happened in Ullis City were destroyed, and they managed to do it before too many copies were made that it would have been impossible to track all of them down. All I know is that Ullis City was purposefully hidden, and I think we now understand why."  


"Destroyed?" Amelia piped in, "Destroyed by who?"  


"Now that’s the question." Scarlet said, "While I wouldn’t put it past the guild, the destruction of a city such as Ullis makes it unlikely. They would have outraged the public far too much by putting together a massive cover-up operation. It's also possible that the sorcerer responsible for Ullis's destruction is the root of the cause, or there might have been some unknown factor. We simply don't know."  


They found a spot far enough away from Ullis that they felt comfortable resting for the night at. Amelia sat underneath a tree and soon enough was sleeping peacefully. Lina, Gourry, Zel and Scarlet built up a campfire and one by one sat around it. "It’s too bad there are no streams here," Gourry said, "Or Lina could catch some fish for us."  


Lina ignored him, "Let me see your sword, Gourry."  


Gourry frowned, unsheathed it and handed it to her. She took it onto her lap and held her hands over it. White light flashed briefly and she closed her eyes, concentrating hard. "Hmmm," she said, drawing out of her trance, "It seems to draw a lot of power from someplace, but I can't tell where."  


Scarlet tsked, “I do regret not joining you today. If I had been there to properly process the scene I likely would have found a manuscript telling us everything we needed to know. As it is I don’t think it would be wise to return. Well, not until I can gather a full team of archeologists trained in combat. My, won’t that be a tall order! At any rate, Lina, would you mind showing me where you found the laboratory, and go over any details that can be of assistance when I return?”

 

“Sure.” Lina said as Scarlet pulled out her map.

 

Zel and Gourry left the campfire to get some sleep as Lina helped Scarlet map the location of Keran’s lab. Once they had finished Scarlet sat back on the log she was sitting on and stared into the flames. “So our next stop is Zefiel City?”

 

“Yeah.” Lina said nervously.

 

Scarlet chuckled, “I’ve heard it’s lovely there. And quite adventurous. No wonder you’re as strong as you are, considering the attacks its suffered from dragons and the whatnot.”

 

Lina smiled weakly. Scarlet had a strange habit of building her up one moment even as she criticized her methods that left Lina unsure if she was manipulating her or just genuinely trying to help. “Granted, I understand not wanting to go back home. Sisters are terrifying.”

 

“Huh?” Lina said.

 

“I have an older sister.” Scarlet said, “She was always better at me at everything. No matter what I tried, she could beat me at it. My parents adored her. She was prettier than me. Smarter, too. It’s why I struck out on my own!”

 

Lina leaned forward, “So, did you ever go back home after you left?”

 

Scarlet smiled warily, “I did. It was the worst mistake of my life.”

 

“What?” Lina exclaimed.

 

Scarlet shook her head, “Well, you see, I left home and got out of her shadow. And it was terrific. I made friends without bearing the burden of being Violet’s kid sister. And like an idiot I took those friends home with me to meet my family. And dear Vi outshone me in every regard. I quite understand, who would want to be friends with me after basking in the light of my sister for a bit?” Scarlet paused for a moment as the butterflies in Lina’s stomach threatened to eat it whole. “And then my lover left me for her. It was a rather sordid affair. Nasty business. I was so broken hearted.”

 

Lina paled. Scarlet looked up at her and laughed, “Now, darling, don’t worry so much! Violet is just one of those examples of a perfect human being that we mortals can’t match! I’m sure that won’t be your case. I mean, you’re so powerful there’s no way any other human could match your abilities, much less surpass them! There’s only one Violet in this world after all. Not even your sister can match her!”

 

Lina found it hard to speak as Scarlet got up, “Do you mind taking the first watch, darling? I’m in need of some good sleep.”

 

“Go ahead.” Lina managed to croak as she stared into the fire, lost in her fears.

* * *

 

“You could have woken us.” Gourry said, concern laced in his voice as they ate breakfast.

 

“I wasn’t sleepy.” Lina said as she focused on keeping her rations down. Rather than sleeping the previous night, she’d stayed up, a mess of nerves and anxiety.

 

“Still, it’s good to get some rest.” He protested. “You need to take care of yourself.”

 

Lina said nothing as Zel and Amelia groused about the quality of the rations while Scarlet made sure to chew her food exactly twenty-six times before swallowing. Finally Gourry said, “I know you’re nervous about going home…”

 

“About that,” Lina said as she raised her voice and made sure she had the attention of the whole group, “I must emphasize, this trip to Zefiel City is business only. Meaning we find Sorcerer Keran’s lab, get the information about the spell, and then we leave.”  


The group stared at her in disbelief. “But, Miss Lina, what about your family?” Amelia asked.

 

“Well, what about them?” Lina responded, “Like I said, business only.”

 

“So you’re going to return home without seeing your family?” Gourry asked.

 

“Bingo.” Lina said.

 

“But why?” Amelia asked.

 

“What happened in Ullis City last night just rattled me a bit, and I don’t want to bother them with all of this.” Lina said. The way that everyone else was staring at her emphasized that they weren’t buying it. “Look, this spell is very important. And I can’t let myself be distracted by family matters right now. So we’re going to avoid my family, and especially my sister, at all costs. Clear?”

 

Zel shrugged, “It’s no business of mine.”

 

Amelia looked at Zel in disappointment as Scarlet sipped her tea, “Nor mine.”

 

Amelia sighed, “Well, if that’s what you feel is best, I guess...”

 

Gourry looked disappointed for some reason, but when he spoke it was a supportive, “If that’s what you want.”

 

But briefly that wounded look he wore off and on, most notably after she denied loving him during the Kuppi affair, flashed across his face. Lina’s insides lurched, “Come on, we’d best get moving and get this over with.”

 

Lina finished packing in record time, and waited at the edge of their small campsite with Gourry. Scarlet took forever to pack. While he seemed like his usual carefree and cheerful self, Lina could not shake the feeling that she had wounded him somehow. She suddenly felt compelled to show an interest in him, "Anyway, Gourry, speaking about home, where is yours?"  


Gourry sweatdropped, "Uh…"  


"Don't tell me you don't remember?"  


"What? Not even someone as dumb as me would forget something like that, it's just…"  


"Miss Lina, Mr. Gourry, come on, let's go!" Amelia said. She was already off on the beaten path to Zefiel City.  


"Alright, alright Amelia, we're coming already." Lina said.  


"Hopefully there will be an inn nearby where we can get some food!" Gourry suggested, taking off after Amelia. Lina looked after him, frowning. Was it just her imagination, or did he seem relieved by Amelia's interruption?  


"Alright!" Lina said as she followed them.

 


	5. Egad! Amelia's Magic Powers are Gone!

At some unknown inn in some unknown town, some anonymous innkeeper was getting very rich. Naturally, that meant that the Slayers were dining there. "Let go, Gourry!" Lina snapped, "That's my chicken leg!"

"No!" Gourry yelled, "It’s mine!"

Amelia leapt up and snatched it from Lina before the other two could react and took a bite, "Actually, it’s mine."

Zelgadis sipped his coffee while he studiously ignored them while Scarlet looked at the group disapprovingly as she sat her tea cup on her saucer. “Princess Amelia, where are your manners? You certainly don’t eat this way when you’re at the palace!”

Amelia shrugged between bites of chicken, "Well, no, but I'm not exactly with diplomats right now, am I?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lina asked.

"What Miss Scarlet is saying, I believe,” Xellos said as he came in and sat at their table uninvited, “Is that your table manners are lacking!"

“Xellos!” They all screamed. Amelia dropped the chicken wing onto the floor. Gourry recovered the quickest and dove down to finish it off. 

Lina looked nervously at Scarlet, who was taking another sip of tea. “You’re not going to attack him again?” she asked.

“Oh, goodness, no!” Scarlet said, “My element of surprise is completely lost. I can’t say that I enjoy having him at this table, though.”

Lina looked at her warily as Xellos said, “But I’m here to help you!”

Scarlet laughed, “Help us? Listen, I will not accept help from an evil being such as yourself. I really don’t see how the princess has been compromising her principles for so long…”

Amelia blushed and fumed as Xellos said, "Now, now, there's no need to be so hasty. In fact, I came to warn you…"

"Warn us?" Lina asked, "Warn us about what?"

"Why about the group of mercenaries the Society for the Preservation of Magical Historical Objects has sent after you!"

"WHAT?" Lina asked, standing up.

"The Society for the Preservation of Magical Historical Objects?" Zelgadis repeated thoughtfully.

"Yes," Xellos said, taking a tea cup from seemingly nowhere and drinking thoughtfully, "They seem to have found out about the sword Gourry has procured and the healing stone Amelia has stumbled upon. They believe rather firmly that these objects belong in a museum, so they sent some mercenaries to take them from you."

Lina shrugged, "So a bunch of thugs are after us, big deal! I mean, we've dealt with trolls, berserkers, monsters, Dark Lords, you name it. I think we can deal with a bunch of thugs just fine."

"Right!" Gourry said, finishing off the roast beef.

"I wouldn't be so confidant, Lina." Xellos said, "They've heard about the infamous bandit killer, Lina Inverse, and have made arrangements to ensure that you are dealt with accordingly."

"Oh?" Lina said raising an eyebrow, "Well, it's about time people started taking me seriously. Just what sort of arrangements are these?"

"Why some of the most powerful sorcerer's the Society can spare, of course!"

"Geez, are they really that desperate? I can't believe this, why can't they just go away and leave me alone? I have enough problems on my hands without having to worry about the Society for the Preservation…Wait a minute, Xellos, we never exactly told anyone about Gourry's new sword or Amelia's healing stone…"

"Exactly," Zelgadis said, "So how did the Society become informed of our recent acquisitions?"

"DON'T INTERUPT ME!" Lina yelled, slapping Zelgadis on the head, and then wincing in pain as her hand collided with solid rock, "Ouch! Forgot. Anyway, Xellos, Zel has posed a good question. How about answering it for us?"

Xellos smiled, "How the Society found out about your recent acquisition is…a secret!"

And with that, he disappeared.

"Great!" Lina said, "Just great! What is he doing, anyway? It’s almost like he's testing us for some reason, but why? He already knows what we're capable of."

“Well, I hate to say I told you so, but this is what happens when you align yourself with such scum.” Scarlet said as she wiped her hands with a napkin.

Lina bristled, “It’s not as if we invite him along, he just shows up and won’t go away.”

“Then you obviously aren’t doing enough to drive him away!”

"Um, Miss Lina, could I talk to you for a minute?" Amelia asked as she blushed slightly.

"Sure, Amelia, what is it?"

"Um, could I talk to you alone, please?"

Lina blinked twice, "Alright, come on."

The men watched, confused as to why they were being excluded from the conversation as Lina and Amelia got up and left. "What's that all about?" Zelgadis asked.

“It’s either women’s issues or they’re talking about me.” Scarlet said and then she reflected. “Or both.”

“Forget that I asked.” Zelgadis mumbled.

"Well, I don't know, but they sure are missing out on some good fish!" Gourry said, stealing the rest of the food from Lina and Amelia's plates.

Zelgadis sighed. "Lina will be mad."

"Well, nothing new there!"

"You two sure make a strange couple."

Gourry blinked twice, "Huh?"

"Oh, nevermind," Zelgadis said as he sipped his coffee. Teasing Gourry about the situation wasn't nearly as fun as teasing Lina about it. Getting a reaction out of the swordsman was like pulling teeth from a berserker. But then, that likely contributed enormously to his skill as a swordsman.

“But are you a couple?” Scarlet asked Gourry, “I’m terribly confused on that point.”

Gourry looked at her in surprise as Zelgadis set his cup down as Scarlet continued, “I mean, it’s obvious that you’re fond of her, Gourry. It’s written all over your every action. But she just doesn’t seem to reciprocate. I mean, goodness, she doesn’t even want you to meet her family!”

Gourry set his food down and stumbled for something to say while Zelgadis felt an unusual need to defend his friends as Scarlet continued, “But I guess you’re noble like that. Fawning for the unreachable woman. And she is rather extraordinary, what with her power and intelligence. Why, if you’re going to make a fool of yourself, might as well do it for such a remarkable woman.”

“Fool?” Gourry repeated.

“That is harsh.” Zelgadis said. 

“Well, looks like they’re back.” Scarlet commented as Lina and Amelia returned to the table, looking entirely too composed.

"Well," Lina said, "We might as well continue on to Zefiel City. Waiter, check please!"

* * *

"Oh, it’s such a lovely day!" Amelia said as they walked through the woods, "I just can't believe that we could be attacked by mercenaries any moment now. It just doesn't seem possible."

"Possible or not, keep your eye out." Zelgadis said, "We don't want them taking us by surprise."

Lina walked behind them with Gourry, eyes closed, concentrating. "Let them come," she said, "I'll show them what happens to people when they mess with Lina Inverse!"

"Heh," Gourry said, "They'll be lucky to escape with all their major extremities in place!"

"DIL BRAND!" Lina suddenly yelled, and an explosion circled out around the group. "If there's one thing I can't stand, its enemies hiding in the bushes trying to sneak up on me. Why don't you just show yourselves so we can get this over with?"

They showed themselves all right. One by one they came out of the bushes, and as they did, Lina turned a rather interesting shade of blue. Slugs. Lots of them. Lina screamed and ran to Gourry, who looked strangely relieved as he wrapped his arms around her. 

Scarlet looked incredulous, “What’s this about then?”

“For some reason Miss Lina is afraid of slugs.” Amelia said.

“Oh really now, what’s a little slug going to do to you?” Scarlet scolded.

“What, are you too perfect to have phobias!?” Lina snapped before she buried her face back in Gourry’s chest.

"Hmmm," Zelgadis said as he closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment before he opened them and looked at one slug in particular. "FIREBALL!" he said. As quickly as they had been there, the slugs were gone, and the charred body of a man stood in his place. "It appears that this man was casting an illusion spell." Zelgadis said, "They sure have done their research on Lina."

"Hey, Lina, the slugs are gone." Gourry said.

Lina nervously turned around and regained her composure quicker than one can blink an eye. "So," she said, "Think they can pull a trick like that on me? I think that deserves severe punishment!"

"Right, Miss Lina!" Amelia said, "You who use devious tricks to scare the enemy rather than face them directly are cowards and are evil! Now taste the Hammer of Justice! FIREBALL!" But, instead of a blaze of light, there was only a poof of smoke. Amelia sweatdropped, "Oh yeah, I forgot."

"Forgot what?" Zelgadis asked.

Amelia blushed, "Ummm…"

"Lina Inverse!" an elderly woman who wore a look that suggested that she had swallowed something rather unpleasant said, "Hand over the sword and the healing stone, and you will be allowed to leave unharmed. Resist, and we shall have to kill you."

"Oh, ho, ho!" Lina said, "Now you've done it, you've really done it! Darkness beyond twilight…”

“Oh, control yourself!” Scarlet said as she put a hand on Lina’s arm. “Good day, Mae. What on earth are you doing out here?”

Mae blinked, “Dr. Rubaka?” 

“In the flesh,” Scarlet said as she walked up to Mae and shook her hand briskly, “Now then, shall we chat about this like civilized adults and reach a conclusion that shall benefit us all?”

“Well, now I know that there is someone here who prizes the value of this research,” Mae said, “All right, pull back!”

Scarlet and Mae sat down to negotiate while the rest of the group looked on in surprise. “Damn, I was kind of wanting to assert my strength after breaking down like that.” Lina mumbled.

Gourry put a hand on her shoulder as the sound of clapping rang through the air, and everyone turned to see Xellos behind them, "Well done." He said, "Even with the mind trick and Amelia's lack of ability to use her powers you managed to defeat the enemy. I'm really quite impressed."

“What’s your game here, Xellos?” Lina asked, “You know this is well within our range of things to handle!”

“I think you know the answer,” Xellos replied, “It’s a secret of course! Bye-bye for now!”

* * *

That night the group sat up late in the evening to discuss their current situation. "Amelia, just what happened back there?" Zelgadis asked.

Amelia blushed, looking down, "Oh, well, I just can't cast any of my spells right now because…"

"Oh!" Gourry said, "It's 'that time of the month, right?'"

Lina slapped Gourry upside the head, as Amelia blazed crimson, "What'd I do?" Gourry asked. 

"You could try and show a little tact!" Lina replied.

"I was being rude?" Gourry asked. 

Lina's face faulted into her hands, "Why do I even bother?"

"Why didn't you tell us, Amelia?" Zelgadis asked.

"I told Miss Lina. She was going to look out for me, but I guess we forgot with all the excitement."

"Why don't you just carry a sword like Lina does for protection during 'that time of the month?'" Gourry asked.

Amelia looked nervous, "A sword?" she then folded her arms across her chest, looking petulant, "I don't like the use of weapons." She relaxed a bit, "No offense Mr. Gourry."

"But why not?" Zelgadis asked.

Amelia shuddered, "Mother was assassinated by a man wielding a sword. I came in right after it happened, and I just can't stand to use a weapon responsible for such injustice!"

Everyone was suddenly silent, staring at the young princess in shock. None had thought to ask what had happened to her mother. Zelgadis put a hand on her shoulder, and Amelia looked up in surprise. Amelia quickly fought back tears and pulled herself together, "What I would like to know is why Miss Lina is so scared of slugs!"

"Me?" Lina asked, "Um, don't ask. You don't want to know."

"Anyway," Zelgadis said, "What'd I'd like to know is what Xellos is after."

Lina thought for a minute, "He couldn't be testing us. He did that when we were fighting Gaav. And it’s not like a monster to get bored all the sudden and decide to use us for amusement. He's got to be up to something, and we can be assured that it is no good."

"May be he's waiting for something." Gourry said.

"Waiting for what, Jellyfish Brains?" Lina replied.

"I dunno, I just have this strong feeling that he's waiting for something."

"Gourry could be right," Zelgadis pitched in, "Xellos might want us to find something for him, or maybe he's interested in Gourry's sword."

"It’s too bad those Society people didn’t have any information on what his sword is or how to activate the Jewel of Rajah.” Amelia commented.

"The Jewel of Rajah…" Lina repeated, "Have you figured out anything about it at all, Amelia?"

She shook her head, "No, I've tried several spells and simply just trying to let my power flow into it, but nothing seems to activate it."

Lina brightened, "We could stop at all the libraries in all the towns we come across!"

"You're just trying to delay the trip back to your home, Miss Lina!" Amelia scolded.

"Lina does have a point, though." Zelgadis said, "If we hit enough libraries surely we'll eventually find something of use, either about Gourry's sword or the Jewel of Rajah, and right now, we could really use any bit of information we can get our hands on."

"Zel's right!" Lina said, "Come on Amelia, Scarlet, let's hit the libraries.”

"The libraries?" Scarlet repeated, "At this hour?"

"Of course!" Lina said, getting up and dragging Scarlet behind her, "This is the best time to raid the libraries, there are no pesky librarians looking over your shoulder at this time of the night!"

"But how will we get in?"

Lina laughed. Scarlet cautioned that they better not do anything illegal. Amelia sighed. In the darkness, they raced to the library.

* * *

“Miss Scarlet, I don’t recognize this language, but from the picture on the front it looks like it’s about a sword.” Amelia said as she handed Scarlet a book.

Scarlet glanced at it and then put it on the discard pile, “It’s about Dulgofa.”

“Dulgofa?” Lina asked.

“It’s just a sword my village was cursed with.” Scarlet explained, “Dreadful business, really. We don’t like to talk about it.”

“Well, now you’re piqued my curiosity!” Lina said.

“And mine!” Amelia chimed in.

Scarlet shook her head, “Very well. Centuries ago, or so they say, Dulgofa appeared lodged in a boulder in the center of our town. Unfortunately, a group of group of young boys had found it. One little boy touched it and was transformed into a demon.”

“What?” Lina exclaimed.

“No way!” Amelia yelped.

Scarlet nodded sadly, “He killed the other children he was with and went rampaging through the town and had to be destroyed. Naturally, the parents of the boys wanted the sword destroyed, but whomever tried to remove the sword met the same fate as the first boy.”

“You mean they were turned into demons, too?” Lina asked.

“Yes. Naturally people from my village decided to leave it well alone. But rumors do fly. From time to time some foolhardy royal outcast would arrive at our village, believing that only a person of noble blood can remove the sword. And then there are those who believe they are strong enough or pure enough to control it. And they all meet that same, terrible fate.”

“But how did it get there?” Lina asked.

“No one knows.” Scarlet said.

“Wow, that’s so mysterious.” Amelia said.

“Yes.” Scarlet agreed as she looked at the book, her expression inscrutable.

“What is it?” Lina asked.

“This book. As I said, people from my village don’t like to talk about it for fear of drawing people who want to try to remove the sword. This book would be very dangerous in the wrong hands. At the same time, stealing is wrong. I’m just debating if the ends justify the means.”

Lina suddenly stood up and screamed, “Xellos! What are you doing here?”

“What?” Scarlet said as she turned around. But all she saw were shelves of books. “Lina, what are you talking about?”

“My mistake.” Lina said as she smiled innocently while Amelia had her hand over her mouth and was stifling a giggle.

“Huh?” Scarlet said, and then she looked at the pile of books and found that the one about Dulgofa was gone. “Why you, very well then, so be it.”

There was exasperation in her voice, but Scarlet was not able to completely stifle her smile.

* * *

"Find anything?” Gourry asked Lina as they returned to the inn to find the guys annoying the kitchen staff by keeping them busy with late night snacks in Gourry's case and coffee refills in Zelgadis's. 

"Not a thing," Lina said, sitting down and calling a waiter who was rather close to tears to the table. "Chicken dinner for five!"

"Please, Miss, we'd really like to close now."

Lina stood up, striking her most dangerous pose as her face grew three times, "I said chicken dinner for five!"

The waiter gulped, "Yes, ma'am!"

Lina sighed as she sat back down, "The waiters these days, you'd think that we didn't pay them."

Amelia sighed as she sat down, "So what are we going to do now?"

Lina sighed, "Head to Zefiel City I guess. There are a few towns between there and here, though none notable for their great libraries and such. Zefiel City itself, while a place where great heroes emerge from, is not a magic capital in any sense. We specialize in our great wine!"

"Which I for one am looking forward to trying plenty of that." Zelgadis said.

Lina suddenly gave all of them a stern look, "Remember, guys, this is no pleasure trip. We're going to Zefeeria strictly on business alone, and the sooner we're out of there, the better."

Everyone turned to stare at her in surprise. "Well this is an ironic turn of events." Zelgadis muttered, "For once I'm talking about having a little fun while Lina goes all out over being business like. Well, we certainly can't stay up here all night. I'm going to bed."

"Me too," Amelia said, "Night."

“Me as well.” Scarlet said.

Lina and Gourry stared at each other as the other two walked away. "Lina," Gourry said quietly, "Just…"

At that moment the fried chicken came out, and trying to carry on a conversation afterwards was simply a futile effort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I am really starting to feel the butterfly effect resulting from my changes to the earlier chapters now. Updating something I wrote 10+ years ago is a fascinating experience!


	6. Family Reunion! Home Again in Zefiel City!

"FIREBALL!" Amelia yelled. A ball of flame emerged from her hands, effectively turning the tree before her into ash, "Ah, victory!" she said, flashing the victory sign.

"Well, Amelia, it appears that your powers are fully restored." Lina said, slapping Amelia companionably on the back.

"Ah, it feels so good to let one loose after not being able to use my powers for so long." Amelia said, standing proudly.

"You got that right!" Lina said, and then for the heck of it, let out a fireball of her own. "I personally think it's just a good way to start a morning."

"You would, Miss Lina. Come on, Mr. Gourry, Mr. Zelgadis and Miss Scarlet have probably finished packing up camp by now and are waiting for us to get back." Amelia said, taking off. Lina just stood there, gazing at the charred remains of two trees in front of her, filled with a sudden dread of what lay ahead that day.

Amelia turned when she realized Lina wasn't following her, "Aren't you coming, Miss Lina?"

"What? Oh, yeah, of course I'm coming!" Lina said, regaining her composure, and turning to follow Amelia "You can be so impatient at times! I swear I'm the only one among us who knows how to just stand and enjoy a beautiful day."

Laughing and joking, the two made it back to the camp. There had been no towns between the one they had left and Zefiel City the previous night, and it would have been a few hours walk in the dark to reach the city, so they decided to camp out. Actually, the others would have been perfectly happy to continue traveling for a few more hours, even if it meant traveling in the dark, if there was a piping hot diner and a warm bed at the end of the road, but Lina had been stubbornly persistent, and it was no good arguing with Lina when she was that determined. Besides, the others were boggled by Lina’s reluctance to go home.

Gourry, Zelgadis and Scarlet greeted the two cheerfully, "So?" Gourry asked.

Lina and Amelia flashed victory signs, "I am pleased to announce that we are back to our full strength!" Lina said.

"Alright!" Gourry said, standing up.

"Let's get going, then. We can't get anything accomplished by staying here." Zelgadis said, glaring at Lina.

"If you ask me, you're just upset because you can't get a cup of coffee here." Lina replied.

"What?" Zelgadis said, "Now listen…"

"Anyway," Lina said, "We'll be reaching Zefiel City in a few hours, and I have two requests. That we stay away from Baker Street and Merchant Lane."

"But why stay away from Baker Street and Merchant Lane?" Amelia asked.

Lina shrugged, "Well, my sister works at Baker Street and my family lives at Merchant Lane. Trust me, we're best off avoiding them at all costs."

"Come on, Lina, are we really in that big of a hurry?" Gourry asked.

"Considering you insisted we camp out last night I would say ‘no.’" Zelgadis said.

Lina blanched as she realized Zelgadis had made a good point.

"He's right, Miss Lina," Amelia said, "And you have been gone for how many years now? At the rate you’re going, who knows when you’ll stop by here again?"

Lina slumped forward, “Look, I just don’t want to see them and why is really none of your business, so can we just drop this and keep going?"

"If you ask me, Lina, you're being rather selfish." Gourry said.

"Gourry?" Lina asked, her voice rising slightly.

"I mean, you've left home and have been gone for years, your parents are probably worried sick about you. And whether or not you believe it they probably miss you. Don't you ever think of anyone's feelings but your own?"

Lina blushed, turning away from the group, "I don’t want to talk about it, okay? The sooner this is over, the better. As for my family, just forget them, okay! It’s nothing that you can understand."

Amelia walked in front of Lina, hands on hips, "Try us."

"Uh, Amelia!" Lina yelled, and then she regained her composure, folding her arms across her chest, "If you three don't cut this out, fine then, I'll just go to Zefiel City by myself!"

The three exchanged glances, and shrugged, "Fine, then." Zelgadis said, "Let's get going, I don't want to spend the whole morning fighting and end up having to camp out again."

"Don't mind us too much for trying to be friends." Gourry added, walking with Zelgadis rather than Lina. Amelia stayed back as well. Scarlet joined Lina quietly, her expression inscrutable. Lina hoped that her own countenance did not betray how concerned she was. Was Gourry really that mad? And why did it matter so much to him whether or not she visited her family? She'd crossed paths like this with Zel and Amelia before, but never with Gourry. Nervously, she bit her finger, wondering just what exactly she should do. May be she shouldn't have let Zel and Amelia in on this one and Gourry…Well, there was no way he would have ever agreed to let her go off on her own, and to send him off would have hurt him too much. Still, she seemed to be doing a good enough job of hurting him and Zel and Amelia anyway. Uncharacteristically abashed, she continued walking on in silence.

She smiled suddenly. Wallowing in self-pity wouldn't get her anywhere. The others might be mad, but once they got out of Zefiel City, that would pass quickly enough, and she wouldn't have to worry about her family for a long time afterwards, if ever. All that mattered was finding that spell so she could overcome whatever crisis was certainly brewing. Still, the quietness that accompanied the trip was not a pleasant one.

* * *

"So this is Zefiel City." Zelgadis commented as they approached a bustling town. "Any recommendations for a good winery?"

"Yeah," Lina said, "Lots! But remember, we’re not here for that."

Zel fumed as they walked through the vineyards that surrounded the town on all sides. Lina sighed inwardly. She had forgotten just how beautiful it was, especially as the vineyards opened to a charming village, "Come on, then, let’s go. Off to the library. Zel, Amelia, you look for info on the items we've acquired, Gourry, Scarlet and I will see if we can find where this Lost Temple that the other part of the spell is."

The others nodded in acknowledgement and they silently entered the town together. Lina led the way. The town hadn't changed much but then, it never did. Strangely, the familiar sights were oddly reassuring, and Lina found herself relaxing.

"The library is right this way," Lina said, "It's the only one Zefiel City has aside from the one in the Sorcerer’s Guild. We're not exactly known for our academics. Oh, here it is!"

Lina started darting up the steps to some ancient looking building and then her face suddenly swelled and she turned right back around and hid behind Gourry. "Lina?" he asked.

"Shut up! There she is!" Lina whispered, pulling Gourry's hair around her.

A rather buxom woman with purplish hair that shadowed her eyes wearing a waitress's dress walked right past them, books in arm, seemingly oblivious to the fact that her sister was behind the tall blonde man she strolled past.

"She's gone," Zelgadis said, arms crossed, wearing a bemused expression.

Lina came out of her hiding place, wiping the sweat from her forehead, "That was close."

"That's your sister?" Amelia asked, "Wow, she doesn't look a thing like you, Miss Lina!"

"Yeah," Gourry said, "She's so…and you're so…"

Lina deftly slapped Gourry across the face, causing him to tumble to the ground, "What'd I say?" he asked.

"So that's Ceipheid's knight." Scarlet said to herself.

"Yeah, yeah," Lina said, "Well, you've seen her now, let's go!"

* * *

Gourry idly polished his sword as he unobtrusively watched Lina shift through a dusty old book. While he often chided her about her appearance, he actually thought she was rather attractive. Especially when she was studying. He wondered what she would think if she knew how he really felt about her. But then, aside from a little bit of physical affection on her part from time to time, she so completely fought any serious conversation about romance he was scared to talk to her about it. And now she didn’t even want him to meet her family!

To distract himself from wondering once again if he was wasting his time he forced his gaze away from her and at Zelgadis, who Gourry was surprised to find looked a bit bored as his eyes skimmed the page of the book he was reading dully. Gourry wondered how Zelgadis could possibly be bored. He was smart like Lina, and likely had millions of interesting thoughts racing through his head. No, Zelgadis couldn't be bored. Someone as smart as Zelgadis did not get bored.

 _I'm bored,_ Zelgadis thought as he flipped through a book on magical objects that wasn’t telling him anything he didn’t know. Besides, he still hadn’t decided whether or not using the Jewel of Rajah was the best course of action, and finding a way to activate it would just force him to make his decision. And aside from concerns about retaining his utility to the group, without the cure, he no longer had a focus in his life, something to get up in the morning for. Before Rezo came, his goals focused on becoming a strong swordsman. When Rezo transformed him into a chimera, his goal was to kill Rezo. After Rezo had been killed, there had been the endless quest for the Claire Bible, which had led him to this. Sure, this new mission gave him a temporary purpose, but what about when it was over? Where would he go? What would he do? Would he allow Amelia to heal his body?

He looked up from his reading to gaze at the Seyruun princess. She seemed to have taken a great interest in some magical objects in a display case whose purpose was long lost to humanity. Amelia had asked him to come home with her to Seyruun on multiple occasions, but what future would Seyruun hold for him? Did Amelia ask him to come home with her out of pity, or was it something else? Amelia did have a big heart, and despite what people said, Zelgadis wasn't quite convinced that her kind actions towards him were a result of genuine affection and not her kindness. _And why does it matter to you so much?_ He asked himself, _these days, it takes a major event to get her out of my mind._

Amelia sighed. _Does he even think of me?_ She asked herself as she stole a quick glance at Zelgadis. He was brooding again, and she fought the urge to sit beside him and ask about what. She turned her attention back to the magical objects. They were all very nice, she supposed, but there was no marker with which to identify their purpose. Zelgadis might know…he was extremely knowledgeable. He'd been so many places and had seen so much. May be he'd take her on one of his adventures one day, provided she wasn't tied down at Seyruun. She sighed again. It was stupid to assume that Zelgadis would give up his life as a loner and traveler to spend it with her as her consort. With force, she turned to look at Lina.

Though she didn't often agree with Lina's methods, she couldn't help but admire the sorceress who was still completely immersed in her studies. Compared to Lina Amelia could only imagine how naïve and idealistic she seemed. Her gaze drifted to Gourry, who had gone back to staring at Lina. Lina might have been oblivious to it, but Amelia was not. Amelia frowned, wondering when one of them would stop the chase and finally work things out between the two of them. Why couldn't the two of them see what everyone else saw?

_Why do I get the feeling that there's a lot of unresolved emotional crisis going on here? _Lina asked herself as she craned her neck, turning the page and then smiling when she realized that she'd finally come across it. "At last!" she said, jumping everyone out of their stupor, "I've found it! It’s getting a bit late now, but first thing tomorrow, we’ll find the temple!"__

Scarlet looked over at the map Lina had discovered, “Well done. At least this afternoon wasn’t a complete bust.”

Amelia looked guiltily at the stack of books she’d had yet to look through. “I guess tomorrow Mr. Zelgadis and I will finish here while you three check out the temple.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Lina said, “But for now, let’s eat!”

* * *

"This was my favorite place to eat as a kid.” Lina said as they burst into the restaurant. “The food was always delicious, the service the best, everything was perfect, and I'm betting not a thing has changed about this place."

Lina sat herself comfortably at a table, the others following suit. "Since you know this place so well," Gourry said, "I suggest you tell us what the best dish of the house is."

"Alright…" Lina's ears perked suddenly as her face turned blue as the voice of a waitress rang through the restaurant, "I said I needed two chicken dinners, no gravy, what's the deal with the gravy?"

"That voice…" Lina whispered, and then dove under the table. Soon enough, the young woman in the waitress outfit they'd seen coming out of the library earlier was at their table, "Welcome to Hajaka Diner, my name is Luna and I will be your waitress for the evening. May I take your order?"

"Um, actually," Amelia said, "One among us seems to have fallen ill, I think we'd best be going actually, no offense or anything."

It was hard to gage Luna's reaction as her eyes were hidden by rather long bangs, but for some reason it seemed as if she had raised an eyebrow, "I'm sorry to hear that, anything I can do?"

"No, not really!" Amelia said, as they carefully got up in a way so that Lina would be able to hide behind them, "Bye, thanks!" she said, and they made their escape.

Once safely outside the restaurant, Lina collapsed on the floor, trembling, "When, when, WHEN did she start working at Hajaka Diner? She certainly wasn't working there when I left! Who does she think she is, changing jobs while I'm gone and not warning me?"

"She didn't seem all that bad, Miss Lina." Amelia said. “I mean, she was nice and helpful and…”

"Let’s go," Lina snapped, "I know another place to eat."

"Why don't you just go back in and say, 'Hi?'" Gourry asked, his voice unusually low and dangerous.

Lina leaned in closer to his face, "Why did you cover for me?"

"Even I'm smart enough to know that you would make life a living Hell for me if I didn't!"

* * *

They had eaten at Lina's second favorite restaurant. Conversation had been kept to a minimum, but that had been expected. It had been a long day. One by one they went off to their separate rooms, leaving Lina alone in the restaurant. She sighed, wondering whether or not she should at least try to explain things to her friends. When you got right down to it, though, it was so stupid they would probably laugh. Besides, it wouldn't be good for people to be going around thinking that Lina Inverse was insecure.

"Oh, what's gotten into you, Lina?" she asked as she got up and headed to her room, "Being gloomy won't solve anything." She was tempted to hunt down a waiter for more food, but decided against it as she unlocked the door to her room, walked in, and locked it behind her. It was basic as far as hotel rooms went. A table, a place to hang her cape and a chair by the window. Lina walked up to the chair and sat down, gazing out the window, lost in memories.

She sighed, and then froze as she heard the sound of a door opening from the hallway. Heavy footsteps walked through the hall, and a few moments later, Lina saw Gourry walking away from the inn as she watched from her window, his face set in a determined manner that she had only seen a few times before. Lina's heart sped up. "What's he doing?" she asked herself, "Has he finally gotten fed up with me and left?"

Lina shook her head. It wasn't like Gourry to do a thing like that, but then, it also wasn't like him to go sneaking around at night. Lina sighed, and thought that maybe she had really messed things up this time. She wondered for a while whether or not she should follow him but decided against it. If he caught her he'd be even more upset. Even Gourry probably needed to blow off steam once and awhile. No one had infinite patience, and Lina had figured by now that putting up with her would tax the patience of the even those with the most patience. "I should probably just go to sleep, everything will be just fine in the morning!" Lina said to herself, not even fooling herself with the smile she attempted.

Instead of bundling under the covers, though, she found herself staring out of the window. A few hours later he returned to the inn. Heavy footsteps were heard coming down the hall, followed by the sound of a door opening and closing. Lina relaxed a little, and went to bed resisting the temptation to burst into Gourry's room to demand to know where he'd been…it would only make things worse. She sighed, snuggling under the covers and closing her eyes. Eventually she drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

Gourry, Zelgadis, Amelia and Scarlet were already eating by the time that Lina came down for breakfast. "Good morning!" She said.

"Morning." All but Zelgadis replied through bites of food. His reply was through sips of coffee.

Lina smiled to herself. All had seemed forgiven. She took her seat beside Gourry and ordered some breakfast and then turned to face Gourry, "I see that you went out walking last night."

To Lina's surprised, he blushed slightly. Nothing major, only slightly, and it disappeared rather quickly, but he had definitely blushed.

"Had I? I really don't remember!" he said, and then dove right back into his breakfast.

Lina frowned, "Just what are you hiding from me, Gourry?"

Everyone face faulted into their breakfast, "And just what are you hiding from us?" Zelgadis asked.

"Oh," Lina said, having the decency to blush. May be all hadn't been forgiven. She sighed, "I suppose you have a point there…Oh, here it is! It looks so good!" she said as her breakfast was placed in front of her.

"So," a new voice that sounded suspiciously like the one the waitress at the Hajaka Diner that had nearly served them the previous night said, "It appears that the rumors are true. Welcome home, Lina."

Lina turned blue, "SIS!?" she shrieked. "Wha…wha…How did you find us? How did you know I was here?"

Luna shrugged, "I have my sources. Did you really think you could come home without me finding out? Now Lina, about those projections…”

Lina gulped, "Ah ha, right, those. Um, Luna, well…You see I've got some important business to do today and I really must get started so if you don't mind I'll just be going now. Okay? Bye!" And with that, she fled from her seat and bolted out the door.

"Lina," Gourry said, getting up and following her, "Hey Lina, wait up!"

"Wow," Amelia said as Scarlet stood up in alarm, "I never thought I'd see those two run from food like that."

Scarlet moved to follow them, but Luna put her hand on her arm, “Leave them be. I want to talk to you.”

“But they’re going to uncover a very important archeological site today. And I am an archeologist. I must be there!” Scarlet protested.

Luna smiled sweetly, “I’m sure they’ll return for you. Just give them a minute. Have a seat, please. I have something to share with you.”

Scarlet looked livid, “If it is just a moment then.” She took her seat and folded her arms across her chest.

Zelgadis regarded Luna as she joined their table, "So you're Lina's sister. I'm quite impressed, actually, I've never met anyone that Lina's been scared of."

"Oh, that," Luna said, "Well, she had it coming to her. You must be Zelgadis Greywards and Princess Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun. A pleasure."

"Wow," Amelia said, "You sure have done your homework."

"Oh, I just know things that any Knight of Ceiphied should know. As you might have assumed, I am Luna Inverse. I was wondering if you might like a cup of tea?"

“If you don’t mind, just cut to the heart of the matter.” Scarlet snapped, “I’ve got a temple to unearth.”

“Miss Scarlet!” Amelia protested.

Luna patted Amelia’s arm, “It’s quite alright. Now then, where to begin?”


	7. Great! Another Haunted Temple!

"The Lost Temple." Lina said, gazing out at the field around her. Gourry stood by her side, frowning, "Hey Lina, I don't see any temple. All I see is a field."

Sure enough, they were on the outskirts of Zefiel City. Vineyards lay behind them, and in front of them was a seemingly endless field. Rather strange place for a temple. Lina's eyes narrowed, and she started scanning the ground. She apparently found what she was looking for, as she walked up to a seemingly ordinary looking rock and rested her palm on it, closing her eyes. She started chanting in some language Gourry couldn't understand, and then it seemed as though an earthquake were occurring. The ground rumbled, and Gourry knelt on the ground for balance, "Lina, what did you do?"

Lina showed no sign of inconfidence, however, as she stared straight ahead of her, "What I am doing is bringing the Lost Temple to surface again, after probably one thousand years buried underground. I'll just have to add it to my list of accomplishments."

"Yeah," Gourry said, "Considering this earthquake doesn't destroy the city! Whoa!"

From a tear in the ground a flat roof started rising. Doric columns followed, yellow and crumbling, and then the ancient stone stairs emerged. Lina smiled, "Alright, let's go!" she said, charging up the stairs, Gourry close behind. They got in without any trouble, the door closing behind them and shutting out the light. "LIGHTING!" Lina called, and bright luminosity filled an ancient stone corridor. Lina and Gourry exchanged a glance and set off down the corridor, not really sure of what was awaiting them.

* * *

"That was really good tea." Amelia said to Zelgadis as they headed to the library. Scarlet trailed behind them and fumed about how much of her time Luna had wasted. Zelgadis and Amelia ignored her as best as they could.

"And Luna was the perfect hostess." Zelgadis added, "I can see why Lina's scared of her, however. It’s not everyone who can slay a dragon with a kitchen knife."

"Still," Amelia said, "It just isn't like Miss Lina to run away from her fears."

"Hmm…you have a point there. With life threatening dangers at least."

"What?" Amelia asked.

"Have you seen her admit her feelings for Gourry?"

"Oh," Amelia said, thinking, "I wonder what sort of relationship Miss Lina and Miss Luna had before Miss Lina ran away."

"At any rate, Luna was very helpful in explaining some things about the Jewel of Rajah to us. Amelia, do you think you would be able to activate the jewel now?"

Amelia shrugged, "I'll have to experiment a bit, but at least I have some idea what to do now. I never would have thought of using shamanist spirit magic to activate it, though." She thought for a minute before asking, "Mr. Zelgadis, do you still want to use to Jewel of Rajah for your cure? You seemed a little reluctant the last time we talked about it."

Zelgadis sighed. He had to tell someone, and he'd rather tell Amelia than Lina or Gourry. Besides, he owed her that much. "When I was talking with Milgasea…"

The earth shook suddenly, and Zel, Amelia and Scarlet were nearly thrown off their feet. They exchanged a look, "Looks like Miss Lina is stirring up trouble again." Amelia said.

“Oh!” Scarlet roared, “What are those two doing to my site?”

And with that she sped up ahead of them, past the library, well on her way to the outskirts of the town. Amelia breathed a sigh of relief as Zel folded his arms across his chest. “Did you get the impression that Miss Luna was keeping her from them for as long as possible?” Amelia asked.

“Hm.” Zelgadis said, "But why? At anyrate, we’d better get going ourselves. Time isn't moving any slower, and I want to get through the rest of the library today."

* * *

Lina and Gourry walked silently through the temple. It was rather boring as temples go. No writing on the walls, no interesting little traps, and no end in sight. The corridor seemed to stretch on endlessly. Lina started wondering if there was some secret passageway they had missed when suddenly the corridor panned out into a huge room. Lina and Gourry might have been more excited about this, however, had there not been about a hundred berserkers in the room with them.

Interestingly enough, Lina smiled, "Figures," she said, "Well, I prefer this to a greasy dog creature. BURST ROND!" she yelled, and small balls of light appeared around several of the berserkers. It didn't do much damage, but it frightened them a bit. Gourry ran in with his sword raised screaming a battle cry. Lina eyed the situation a bit before turning to a group of berserkers far away from where Gourry was and yelling, "VAL-FLARE!"

Something that looked like an enlarged flare arrow emerged from her hands and hit a group of berserkers full on. They didn't stand a chance in the explosion that followed, and their numbers were seriously depleted evening out the odds a bit. Unfortunately, it also had the effect of enraging the remaining berserkers, causing the strength of their attack to increase. Soon enough, Lina and Gourry found themselves pressed back to back amid a torrent of bloodthirsty berserkers. "FIREBALL!" Lina called, "FLARE ARROW!"

Gourry's elbows kept bumping into her back as he moved his sword through the air, thrusting, parrying, blocking. The berserker's possessed incredible strength, but he had faced berserker's before, not to mention Dark Lords and monsters. He was not going to be beaten by this group, even if there was so many.

Behind him Lina was also starting to feel the effects of exhaustion. Her magical energy was limited, and she thought of drawing her sword to conserve it, or at least cast a spell through it, but that would mean leaving her guard down for a moment, and in a situation like this, even a moment was too much to spare. The press of bodies against them was great and Lina knew that all it took was one opening, one mistake on either of their parts, and they were as good as dead. She couldn't use the Dragon Slave…not without destroying the temple itself and any chance she had of getting her hands on Sorcerer Keran's spell. And she couldn't very well allow that.

Gourry bit his lip in pain as he realized he'd been hit. Not badly, but a hit was a hit, and in this instance could be deadly. He gritted his teeth and continued fighting. He'd deal with the wound when this was over, but right now he had to concentrate on surviving this. He'd taken worse injuries before, he could take this…

Unaware of her partner's condition, an idea came to the sorceress. As annoying as Scarlet could be, she had taken the time to teach Lina the Zelas Brid. It might just work…"Gourry, cover me!" and without waiting for him to reply, she chanted, "Lord of Darkness of the Four Worlds," she began, the magical amulets on her arms, neck and waist glowing, "I call upon you, grant me all the power that you possess." She looked up, an evil gleam in her eye, "ZELAS BRID!"

A beam of light appeared in her hands, and she used it as a whip to cut through the group of berserkers before her. Effortlessly it cleaved them, and they fell in multitudes before her. "Yes!" she cried, lashing out again with the whip, taking out more of them. Behind her, on his reserves of strength and adrenaline, Gourry took out the remaining berserkers before him and turned to see Lina finish off the remaining group with the Zelas Brid. When the last of the berserkers had fallen she turned and flashed him a victory sign, winking smugly at him.

Gourry smiled at her before falling to his knees, clenching his side in pain. "Gourry?" Lina asked, and then gasped as she saw red seeping through his blue tunic. She knelt beside him, "RECOVERY!" she yelled, placing her hand over the wound.

"It’s not bad, Lina. It’s really not that deep."

"Yeah, looks like you lucked out." Lina eyed the mess around them as she healed him. For whatever reason she started thinking about their battle with Gaav three years ago, one in which they had nearly fought to their deaths like they had nearly done here…the battle in which in its aftermath Gourry had been taken from her. She bit her lip, trying to force down some of the feelings threatening to explode. She'd never realized how much the swordsman had been a part of her life until Phibrizo had kidnapped him, and now he very easily could have been taken from her forever again. If the berserker had cut him just a bit more deeply…

"Looks like Sorcerer Keran really didn't want this spell to be found." Lina said to take her mind off the direction it was flowing.

Gourry nodded, "I don't want to see what lies ahead. Lina, is the spell really worth it?"

"A spell to combine white, black and shamanist magic? What kind of a question is that, Gourry, especially with Xellos showing up again, not to mention the warning that Milgasea passed down through Zel? And besides that, something in my bones says that we need to find this spell. Call it women's intuition."

Gourry shrugged, found that it hurt to do that, and tried to remember not to do it again until Lina had finished casting the healing spell, "Okay." He thought for a moment before tentatively saying, "You know, I know for some reason your sister scares you. But she didn’t seem like she was going to kill you or anything."

"Huh?" Lina asked, taken so completely by surprise by his change of subject that she nearly interrupted the healing spell. She sighed, and took a deep breath. It must have really been weighing heavily on Gourry's mind for him to remember about it and bring it up. Shyly, she looked at Gourry as he averted his gaze from her, his blue eyes brimming with concern. Something broke as she watched the swordsman, "No, she wouldn't." Lina agreed quietly. She thought for a moment before adding, "Luna won’t hurt me physically that much. Emotionally, well, that’s another story." Lina discontinued the healing spell and helped Gourry to stand up, wondering why in the world she'd just told him what she had. Lina stopped herself with an effort. She was telling too much, yet it felt surprisingly good to let it out, "Come on, let's get away from all these bodies, take out our rations and regain our strength a bit before continuing on."

"Right," Gourry said, looking at Lina curiously. She'd never opened up before, and her change in manner had thrown him completely. May be it was Zel and Amelia being gone…

Lina was just as confused as he was, if not more so. _What has gotten into me?_ She wondered to herself. Was it nearly losing Gourry, or was she just tired of keeping him at bay? Or had hurting him last night gotten under her skin more than she had realized? She didn't want to hurt him anymore. The realization was a strange one to her, but not as surprising as the next one that came as she watched the swordsman as they came upon the shelter of the hallway. She trusted him.

"What do you mean by emotionally?" he asked as they sat in a hallway far enough away from the room where the battle had taken place so as not to be overcome by the smell of blood and guts and death.

Lina opened up her pack, pulling out some hard bread and handing some to Gourry, before biting into her own piece. She took so long in answering Gourry thought that she was just going to ignore the question until she said, "Growing up here was like growing up in a shadow, namely, my sister's shadow. Luna has a lot more power than I can ever hope to have! She's gained a piece of Ceiphied's power, and she uses that power uninhibited with incantations and can make even a kitchen knife a deadly weapon for a dragon! I didn't have a name for myself in Zefiel City, I was simply 'Luna's kid sister.' It was unbearable! And then after the incident with the projections I finally had the chance to show the town just how powerful I was, show them that I could do tremendous things as well by fighting some banshee that was terrorizing some of the vineyards. While I was confronting the banshee, Luna just had to butt in and steal my victory! I had to get out then, I had to get away from home. There was no way I could continue to grow into what I am today while living in her shadow! I had to make my own name, I had to make people respect and fear my name, like they did Luna's. So I ran away. And now I'm back here in her shadow again." Lina sighed, drawing her knees to her chest, "That's why I didn't want you to meet my family. With Mom and Dad its Luna this, Luna that. Compared to the stuff she's done my adventures are hardly worth an eye blink. I couldn't let you see me overshadowed like that."

"Well you might be surprised," Gourry said, "Your parents seemed pretty proud of your accomplishments to me at least."

Lina face faulted, "What?"

"They went on and on about a lot of things. Something about Shabrabingo and Hellover Phillybree and Death Star. Something about those events seemed familiar, they kept pressing me for details, but…"

Lina grabbed a bunch of his tunic, pulling him close to her, "And just when were you talking to my parents?"

Gourry sweatdropped, and scratched his head, "Uh, last night. I was taking a walk and your dad recognized me and invited me to his home. Your sister was still working, but your mom was there. She makes some delicious coffee cake!"

Lina let go of him, shock taking over as a million questions hit her at once, “How, what, wait. My dad recognized you? How?”

“We’d met once. We defeated a monster together. It was right before I met you actually.”

Lina shook her head, “You mean you met my dad before you met me!?”

Gourry nodded as he patted her on the head, “He told me to find a purpose for the Sword of Light. And soon after I met you, and I did.” 

Lina blushed fiercely, “And then last night you met my mom and saw my house?"

"Yup! And while we were eating they started asking me all these questions about what you had done, where you were, what you were doing. They seemed disappointed when I told them you weren't planning on dropping by. You really should stop by, you know. I mean, that coffee cake was delicious and your mom said she’d make me another one if I ever stopped by…"

"Good grief, this can't be happening, this can't be true! I can't believe this, I just can't! Gourry of Jellyfish found my house and had dinner with my family without my having a clue about it!"

Gourry frowned, his face falling, "Did I do something wrong, Lina?"

Lina blushed suddenly, overcome with emotion, before leaning back against the wall beside him, "No, Gourry, surprised as I may be, you did something right." She bit her lip for a moment before adding, "Thank you."

Gourry smiled, patting her on the head, "It was the least I could do."

He was quiet for a moment before he said, “I’m sorry I’ve been so mad about this these past few days. It’s just that I thought you didn’t want them to meet me because I wasn’t important enough.”

Lina turned and put a hand on his arm, “What? No! It was never about you. I mean I…I…” she grew very red all of the sudden, “I wasn’t even thinking about it like that!”

He moved his hand to cup her cheek and stroke it. Lina’s heart started to beat very fast as she found herself moving closer to him, closing the distance between them. But just when she was about to brush her lips with his, Scarlet’s shrill voice rang through the room.

“There you are! And what a mess this place is! What the carnation do you think you are doing? Excavating this temple without me!?”

Lina hit the wall with her fists, and got up. “Hello Scarlet.”

* * *

They had met with no berserkers, undead, or greasy dog-like creatures on the rest of their journey to the vault where Sorcerer Keran kept his works. Apparently Sorcerer Keran had felt that the berserkers were enough to keep anyone out. He had never crossed paths with Lina Inverse, the walking force of destruction before. Gourry, Lina and Scarlet were just happy about that, though. Both knew that even though they had rested a bit they were definitely not in their prime right now and expending energy to fight another battle was more than either wanted to do at the moment. Right now dinner, a hot bath and a soft bed sounded real nice, but first they had to get the next piece of the puzzle.

The door didn't open the convenient way by allowing its handle to be turned. Lina’s first inclination was the fireball the hell out of it, but Scarlet didn’t approve. While her conversation with Gourry had lifted her spirits a bit, she was still in a bad mood and she didn't particularly feel like dealing with stubborn doors or uptight archeologists at the moment. So she muttered under her breath as Scarlet picked the lock.

Once open, they wordlessly walked through the doorframe and into Keran's office. Once again, papers and old, musky books lined the room. For once, Gourry joined Lina in her search for something useful, mostly because he was hoping to find something on the strange sword he had. Gourry stared at the book, frowning. This one was in some language he didn't even recognize! He put the book down. At least it helped narrow the things down that he could look through.

"Found it!" Lina said, clapping her hands together triumphantly, "Next stop, the Elmekia Empire!"

Gourry sweatdropped, "The Elmekia Empire?" he asked, his voice raising an octave, "It can't be!"

Lina raised an eyebrow, "What is it, Gourry?"

Gourry sighed, lowering his head, "Well, I guess we saw your home, Lina. I guess it’s time we saw mine."

"Elmekia?" Lina repeated thoughtfully, chin resting on her hand, "So that's where you're from."

"Yeah," Gourry said, sounding somewhat desolate, "Elmekia is my home. Only, I don't think anyone there will be happy to see me."

"If this is about the Sword of Light, Gourry, it has been returned to where it belongs, you shouldn't have to worry about facing your family's wrath over losing it."

"It’s not that, Lina," Gourry said, "It's the circumstances that I left home with the Sword of Light that I'm worried about."

"What?" Lina asked, "What do you mean circumstances? The sword was passed down to you, wasn't it?"

Gourry sweatdropped, "Err, not exactly."

Lina slapped her forehead, muttering to herself, "Oh I don't believe this, I just don't believe this. Alright, Gourry, just what exactly happened?"

Gourry thought for a moment, "Well, from what I can remember…"

Lina slide to a pile on the floor, "Oh dear…"

"Father died suddenly without really specifying to whom the sword should be passed down to. It was either going to be me or my twin brother, and since it isn't known which of us was really older, the right of primogeniture was nullified, see?"

"So let me see,” Scarlet said, “You stole the sword because you wanted it.”

"No!" Gourry nearly yelled, "It wasn't that at all! It was…well, I didn't trust my brother, see? He was mean and power crazed, and I didn't trust him with the power the sword would give him."

"So you took it so he wouldn't be able to abuse it?" Lina said.

"Sort of," Gourry said with a sigh, "It was also tearing the family apart. Soon everyone wanted the sword for themselves, my uncles, aunts, cousins. Then my family started killing each other for it. One of my other brothers was killed in the fighting, and when that happened I knew I had to do something to keep the family safe!"

"So you took it and ran, huh?"

"Yeah." Gourry said, his voice heavier than usual. “If the sword wasn’t there, then there wouldn’t be anything to fight over, would there?”

Lina sighed, shaking her head. "And you've had no contact at all with your family since, right?"

"None at all." Gourry confirmed, "They might even kill me on sight if I step into Elmekia!"

"Well this is just great," Lina said, "We have to go to Elmekia, Gourry, our lives depend on it. Well, my life at least." Lina thought for a moment, a solution coming to her. It wasn't a particularly pleasant one, but she'd dragged Gourry into enough adventures and jeopardized his life one too many times.

“Well, I guess the solution would be for Gourry to remain in Zefiel City while Lina and I tarry forth to the Elmekian Empire.” Scarlet said, seeming to have read Lina’s mind. “Then we can meet up once we get the next clue to where the spell it.”

“What! There’s no way I’m letting Lina go there without me!”

Lina put a hand on his arm, "I’ll be fine. I mean, I’m glad you wanted the job and all, but it’s not like I needed a protector. And with Scarlet and likely Zel and Amelia it’s not like I’d be alone. And like Scarlet says, once I get what I need, we can meet up again."

Gourry's face hardened, "No way, Lina. Besides, it’s not as if I’ve never been any place dangerous with you before. It would be stupid for me to be your protector while expecting my safety to be guaranteed at all times."

Lina smiled, “I guess you have a point. But I also don’t want to put you in a position where you have to defend yourself against your own family for me.”

He put his hand on her head and ruffled her hair, "I'm not leaving, Lina. Like it or not, you're stuck with me."

Lina laughed quietly to herself, and smiled while Scarlet folded her arms across her chest and looked worried. Lina really didn't want to have to leave him anyway, even if it was for a short while. She stood on her toes to pat him on the shoulder, "Glad to have you along then. We'll just have to be careful then. May be if we dressed you up like a girl again…"

"What?" Gourry yelled, "There's no way I'm going to Elmekia dressed as a girl! If my brother found out I would die!"

"Alright, then," Lina said, "We'll think of something. Come on, let's go back to the inn. Zel and Amelia are probably eating diner by now, and we wouldn't want to miss out on that!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey ya'll. Thanks for reading thus far! Lately I've been having people challenge me to write more with Lina's parents, which I originally glossed over in this fic. The reason is because I don't like writing her parents because there's no way to know what Hajime Kanzaka would have named them and I have this whole complex about getting something wrong. It's not rational of me, but there it is. Anyway, to help me around this, please [click here](http://alexeiadrae.tumblr.com/post/141981446013/help-me-name-linas-parents), which will take you to my tumblr and a poll to name Lina's parents. Poll closes next Weds and whichever name wins I will use. Thanks!


	8. Homecoming! A Warm Welcome, A Dangerous Warning!

Amelia concentrated on activating the Jewel of Rajah. Like Luna had suggested, she started with a spell to summon spirit magic. Results were finally delivered as the jewel started to glow. Amelia furrowed her brow, concentrating hard as she tried to direct the energy and to switch from using spirit magic to white magic. She lost of the flow of energy then and sank back in her chair, exhausted.

"Well, we are making progress." Zelgadis said.

Amelia frowned, "Combining spirit magic with white magic just isn't done, and I can't figure out how to switch from using the two without losing the energy I gathered from spirit magic, yet I can't focus the jewel's healing powers using spirit magic." She slammed her fists on the table in a rare sign of distress, "Oh this is so frustrating!"

Zelgadis raised an eyebrow, surprised by her outburst, and the princess quickly regained her composure, "Mr. Zelgadis?" she asked.

"What is it?"

"I was just wondering if you would like to tell me what Mr. Milgasea told you now."

"Oh, that." Zelgadis said. Well, now seemed as good a time as any. "Amelia, where do you think my magic power comes from?"

"Huh?" Amelia asked, "I don't know really. No one really knows why some people have more magical affinity than others…"

"Before I was transformed into a chimera I had some magical power, but not nearly as much as I do now. It’s very possible that my affinity in shamanist magic stems from my demon third."

"Oh," Amelia said, "And if you return to being fully human you'll lose that demon third along with your magical abilities."

"Exactly," Zelgadis said, sipping his coffee, "Besides that, I wouldn't have the strength I'm accustomed to, and my rock body does provide protection against swords and other objects, and I'm afraid I've come to rely on that. Milgasea told me that we were about to face some great and terrible danger that rivals anything we've faced in the past, and that my powers would be needed. At first I thought it was a scare tactic, but what with Xellos showing up and Luna's warning I'm not so sure anymore."

"Hmm…Miss Luna did mention that someone wanted Miss Lina dead, she wouldn't say who, though." Amelia thought for a moment before carefully saying, "Why not stay as you are, Mr. Zelgadis? I mean, looks aren't everything and your form does provide you with a lot of advantages. Besides," she said, eyes lowering, blushing slightly, "I think you look dashing just the way you are."

Zelgadis looked at her in shock. Was she just stringing him along so he would stay a chimera for the safety of the group? Was she making fun of him? He softened suddenly. It certainly wasn't like Amelia to be insincere. "Why, thank you, Amelia."

Amelia looked up, smiling. Finally, some progress had been made. Tentatively she began, "Mr. Zelgadis, I…"

"There you are!" Lina said as she walked into the inn with Gourry and Scarlet.

"Miss Lina!" Amelia cried, looking a little flushed, "Mr. Gourry, Miss Scarlet, wow, you guys are finally back."

"Of course we're back Amelia." Lina said, taking a seat, "We were hungry. Waiter, give me double portions of everything you've got!"

"Yeah, me too!" Gourry echoed, taking a seat beside Lina.

"Would you guys please find another restaurant to terrorize?" the waiter asked before leaving to carry out the order.

"So," Zelgadis asked, "Did you two find anything?"

"Not really," Lina said, "Just that the next stop is Elmekia. And we're going to have to be careful, guys." She then went on to explain Gourry's family situation to an astounded Zelgadis and Amelia.

"Gee," Amelia said, when Lina had finished explaining the Gabriev Family Feud, "It’s hard to believe that someone in Mr. Gourry's family could be so unjust."

"I'll say," Zelgadis said, "I guess I assumed that they were all like him."

Gourry wasn't really sure how to take that, so he just kept quiet. "Anyway," Lina said, "Tomorrow morning we'll be stopping by my parents’ place for breakfast before heading out…"

Zelgadis and Amelia face faulted while Scarlet nearly choked on her tea, "We'll be heading where?" they asked.

Lina stopped, blinking, "My parents’ place, and, as I was saying…"

"But Miss Lina, I thought you didn't want to see your parents!" Amelia cried.

"DON'T INTERRUPT ME!" Lina snapped, and then regained her composure, "Honestly, guys, you really don't expect me to come all the way home after eight years of wandering and then skip out on seeing my parents? Gosh, you make me out to be some sort of monster!"

Zelgadis looked at Gourry on the off chance that he might know something that they didn't. The swordsman just looked innocent and shrugged.

Zelgadis and Amelia exchanged a look while Scarlet bit her lip nervously, before Zelgadis decided it best to change the subject, "We had an interesting discussion with your sister." He said.

Lina turned a slight shade of blue, "Oh really? Hehe, just don't believe everything she told you about me, okay?"

"Actually, she said rather little about you, Miss Lina." Amelia said.

Lina relaxed a bit, "Well, that's a relief. Alright, what did she say then?"

"She had some ideas on how to activate the Jewel of Rajah. Amelia has been making some progress with it, but the mastery of it is still beyond her grasp." 

Zelgadis suddenly locked eyes with Lina, "She also said that some major higher-up wanted you dead, and that a plan has been put in motion to achieve that end."

"Is that it?" Lina asked, and then shrugged, "I could have figured someone would want me dead. I mean I have managed to tick off quite a lot of people. Did she say anything specific?"

Zelgadis and Amelia exchanged a look, "Only that if you didn't at least stop by for some tea you'd never get the important bit of information she has to tell you."

Lina chuckled, "I guess it's a good thing that I'm going home then!"

The food finally came then, and the conversation was quickly abandoned.

* * *

"Hey Lina," Gourry asked as the group walked towards Lina’s home the following morning, "Were your parents always merchants? I mean, they seemed rather well traveled for merchants."

"Well, before they settled down Dad was a traveling swordsman and Mom a traveling sorceress."

Amelia and Zelgadis turned and looked at Lina and Gourry, who stared back at them blankly, "A traveling sorceress…" Amelia said, looking at Lina, "And a swordsman…" Zelgadis finished, looking at Gourry.

Lina and Gourry blinked a few times in confusion, "What?" Lina asked, "Hey wait a minute, just what are you implying?"

“Wow, Miss Lina!” Amelia said as she pointed up ahead. 

“Huh?” Lina turned to look where she had indicated. Her lip shook as her eyes grew watery as she took in her parents’ shop with a giant banner on the front saying: WELCOME HOME LINA!

Beneath it was, “Slayer of Shabranigdo, Zanaffar, Hellmaster Phibrizzo, and many others.”

Lina chuckled, “I’m going to have to tell them to tone it down. It’s not good for my lifespan to advertise that stuff.”

Gourry wrapped an arm around her and she beamed at him. Amelia smiled, “Aww! You’re finally acting like a couple!”

“You’ll scare Lina into hiding again by bringing it to her attention.” Zelgadis muttered.

“What are you talking about?” Lina asked as she climbed the stairs with Gourry. The door to the shop flew open before she got to the top one and Lina’s parents and sister came out throwing confetti as they yelled, “Welcome home!”

Something snapped in Lina brain, and she ran towards them and started hugging them. For a moment things were blur of happiness and excitement. But then Lina became self-conscious of the fact that she was clinging to her dad and yelling, “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” And that there was something horrifyingly familiar about it.

And that’s when she realized she was acting just like Amelia did whenever she saw Phil!

_If that’s not a disturbing thought…_

Lina laughed nervously as she let go of her father and resolved to avoid any daddy-daughter-demolition duos. She took a step back and indicated her parents, “Um, well, these are my parents, Han and Leia Inverse. And you’ve met my sister, Luna.”

Everyone nodded, Lina then pointed at her friends, “And you’ve met Gourry, and this is Amelia, Zel and Scarlet. And I guess that’s everyone.”

“Welcome!” Leia said, “Come inside, we have a big breakfast prepared!” Leia then patted Gourry on the arm, “I made several coffee cakes, one for you to eat now, and one for you to eat on the road.”

“Wow, thanks!” Gourry said as they entered the house and found that the table was laden with pans of biscuits, plates of bacon, and bowls of eggs, as well as cinnamon rolls, coffee cake and other pastries. Everyone seated themselves around the table and started recounting their adventures as they dodged elbows, thrown food and the occasional knife.

Once breakfast was demolished, Leia promptly ushered everyone into the living room, with the exception of Lina, who she asked for help cleaning up. “Gee, I come back home and already you’re making me do the dishes!” Lina groused.

“You’ve not washed a plate in years so your overdue to help clean up a little.” Leia said, “Besides, I want to talk to you alone.”

Lina shifted uncomfortably as she grabbed a rag, “Whatever you heard, it isn’t true.”

“Humph,” Leia said as she started washing, “I’ll let Luna sort out the less savory aspects of your journey.”

Lina’s hair stood on end as Leia handed her a plate that Lina somehow managed to grab without breaking. “No, I’m interested in what’s going on between you and Gourry.”

The reprieve that the plate had briefly won vanished as it shattered in Lina’s hand as her grip tightened as Leia ventured into dangerous territory, “Wh-wh-what do you mean? I mean, we travel together. We’re partners! I mean, if you’re worried that we’re shacking up you don’t need to, I mean…”

“You’ve been traveling with each other for five years!” Leia protested, “You should be shacking up!”

Lina’s eyes widened as she stuttered, “Let’s not discuss this…”

“Always you with not wanting to discuss these things.” Leia sighed, “I was remiss in not teaching you before you left home. So it’s better late than never. It’s way past time we talked about the birds and the bees as they call it.”

Lina shook her head, “This really isn’t necessary!”

But Leia cleared her throat, “When a man and a woman love each other very much…”

“Oh hell no!” Lina roared as she stormed out of the kitchen and into the living room. “And Mom, I’m twenty, not thirteen anymore, for the love of…” 

But Lina’s alarm bells were still going off as she observed the room. Something was wrong. Some people were missing. Namely, her father and Gourry.

“Where did Dad and Gourry go?” Lina asked, her voice a dangerous whisper.

“Oh, your father asked Mr. Gourry to help him move some heavy items in storage.” Amelia said.

Lina’s face lost its color, “You mean Gourry is alone with Dad?”

“Yeah…” Amelia said, her voice trailing off as she noticed the look of horror on Lina’s face. “Is everything alright?”

“DAD!” Lina roared as she raced to the storage room.

* * *

“Thanks for the help.” Han said as he and Gourry team lifted some huge bags of flour.

“Don’t mention it.” Gourry said as he sat it down and walked over to pick up another bag, “The way I see it, I owe you a lot.”

“Oh?” Han asked, sensing that the other man had something on his mind as he watched him lift the heavy bag all by himself.

“You stopped me from throwing away the Sword of Light. I mean, I’ve done some stupid things, but that wouldn’t have been the stupidest!” Gourry explained as she sat the bag down.

“I won’t argue with you there.” Han said as he leaned against the wall and folded his arms across his chest.

“It’s more than that, though.” Gourry said quietly but earnestly. “I mean, you gave me a direction to go in, finding something useful to do with my sword.”

“I’m glad that bit of advice didn’t go to waste.”

Gourry shifted awkwardly, “Look, I was in a real bad place when we met. But things are better now. And I don’t want you to have any bad feelings towards me from then.”

Han gazed at him appraisingly, “Why would it matter to you what I think about you?”

Gourry took a deep breath, “Because of Lina. If you didn’t approve of us together…”

“If Lina wants to be with you, she’s going to be with you. So, as a word of advice, I’d worry a lot more about what she thinks about you.” Han said, “I learned a long time ago children are going to do what they’re going to do.”

“Yes, but it’s still important…”

“DAD!” Lina shrieked from the living room as she came storming into the storage room, red faced and rather disheveled, “What are you doing, talking to him alone?”

“It’s my house,” Han shot back, his voice harsh but his face bemused, “I’ll talk to whoever I damn well please alone.”

Lina grabbed Gourry’s hand, “Come on, Gourry, let’s get back with the others.”

Everyone looked at them questioningly as Lina came back in with Gourry and Han. She sat on the couch, and Gourry sat beside her. Leia came in from the kitchen and once everyone was comfortable Luna looked at Gourry and asked, “Might I have a look at your sword?”

Gourry handed it to her, and she let out a gasp of recognition. “What? Do you know what it is?” Lina asked.

Luna nodded, “Of course I know. It was wielded by Ceipheid himself. The Blast Sword.”

Lina’s eyes widened, “Really?”

“Really.”

“What’s the Blast Sword?” Gourry asked.

“It’s a sword that takes magical energy and absorbs it to sharpen its blade.” Luna explained, “It is so sharp it can cut through any spell and, according to legend, slay very high ranking Mazoku. It looks like you traded up when you returned the Sword of Light.”

“Wow.” Gourry said.

“Hey Gouryyyyy.” Lina sang, “How much…”

“It’s not for sale, Lina.”

Luna looked at her sternly, “You two can stop the act, you know.”

“What act?” Lina asked.

“You’ve been traveling with each other for five years now.” Leia said.

“I know you casted a Giga Slave to save his life.” Luna added.

“And he goes around calling himself your protector,” Han added, “Which is one of the duties of a husband.”

“So stop pretending you aren’t a couple and just be open about it.” Luna said.

Lina turned beat red as Amelia clucked her lips, “I’ve been trying to get them to admit it for years.”

“Look,” Luna said, “This isn’t just a matter of roasting Lina. You’re strong, Lina. And part of that strength comes from the relationships you have built, particularly the one you have with Gourry. On your own you never could have done it. And considering what’s ahead, you’re going to need every strength you have on the table.”

Lina squirmed awkwardly, “What do you mean what’s ahead?”

“Well, I guess this is getting to be your signature act, but you’ve going to have the opportunity to defeat another seventh of Shabranigdo.”

Lina and the others groaned, “Not this again!”

“Can’t someone find something better to do?” Zel asked.

“Not just one someone. Two groups of people actually are striving for the same aim.” Luna explained, “Apparently Greater Beast and Dynast have been having some disagreements about how best to achieve the end and are fighting amongst themselves.”

“Dynast!” Lina sputtered, “Greater Beast is no surprise. That would explain Xellos. But Dynast?”

“Who’s Dynast?” Gourry asked.

“Dynast Grausherra. One of Shabranigdo’s subordinates. “ Lina said. “Sort of like Hellmaster.”

“So he’s a powerful Mazoku?”

“Basically.” Lina shook her head, “Well this is putting a damper on my day. What else do you got?”

Luna shook her head, “That’s all I know for certain I’m afraid. But I can speculate that if there are groups of people wanting to resurrect Shabranigdo…”

“Then they have a means to do it.” Lina finished.

“And a plan to get the person who has foiled them in the past out of their way.” Han added.

Lina bit her lip, “Well, that would explain why they want me dead.”

“Well,” Scarlet said, “Perhaps we should take you to a safe place. I can think of a good one.”

Lina shook her head, “And spend the rest of my life cowering in fear? That’s not going to happen.”

“Just until we foil the plans of…”

“They want me dead because I have the best shot of foiling their plans.” Lina shot back, “So you see I can’t do that.”

Scarlet bit her lip nervously as Luna said, “Be wary of new people you meet.”

“Always am.” Lina replied. “Well, it’s been fun. But we really must be going. Now that we know what’s what, it just seems even more important that we get to Elmekia as soon as possible.”

“Oh, I hate that you have to go so soon! Promise you’ll come back the minute this is over and stay for longer!” Leia said.

Lina smiled as she stood up, “Will do!”

The rest of the group stood up and started saying good bye to their hosts. “Wait a minute, before you leave Luna and I’ve packed some food for you to take on your journey! In here!”

Gourry was about to leave with the others where Leia was ushering them when Han stopped him, “Look, if I hadn’t liked you and didn’t think you had potential, I never would have wasted my time stopping you from throwing the Sword of Light away.”

Gourry’s eyes widened as Han continued, “And it looks like I was right about you having potential, though I didn’t think it would end up like this. But you heard what Luna said. And it gives all of us peace of mind knowing you’re beside her.”

Han patted him on the back and moved into the kitchen with the others. Gourry smiled slightly, feeling a measure of relief even with the grim news they were given, and followed them.

* * *

They walked in silence for a while, Lina turning over and over the things her family had said to her. She hadn’t realized how much fun coming home could be, how different things could be if she was in Zefiel City having had a name made for herself. And even though they had been given some terrifying news, Lina’s spirits were soaring.

Lina shook her head, trying to clear it to keep herself grounded. Danger was imminent! And she couldn’t afford to let her accomplishments go to her head and get careless. And then something happened that exceeded exceptionally well at clearing her head. Namely, a fireball was thrown at them. Zel and Amelia raised a shield around the group easily enough, and it was then that they noticed they were surrounded.

Lina pinched the bridge of her noise, "Not again," she said. These little games of Xellos were getting quite tiring, and she wished that the Trickster Priest would find something better to do with his time.

"DIL BRAND!" she said, sounding almost bored. Xellos knew that she was far more powerful than the goons he kept sending after her, so why did he insist on doing so?

"FIREBALL!" Zelgadis yelled, and Lina quickly looked around for what he was aiming at before looking up and seeing a lot of ominous looking winged men flying above them.

"Great," Lina muttered, "Here I was, having a perfectly good day, and they just had to butt in! FLARE ARROW!" she yelled.

"RUNE FLARE!" Amelia yelled.

Gourry unsheathed his sword and did a gravity defying jump up towards one of the beasts, slashing it in half with his sword.

The group looked around for more enemies to engage, but instead heard the all-too-familiar sound of clapping hands followed by a, "Bravo, well done!"

The five exchanged looks of pure hatred before Lina said, "Come on guys, let’s get going."

Yelling wouldn't have done any good. If anything Xellos would probably have enjoyed that, and Lina really couldn't stand the thought of asking him a question only to be followed by the most hated reply, "That is a secret." Xellos was probably just looking for a reaction, and for once she was not going to let him have it.

The rest of the group seemed to agree with her on this one as they followed her without complaint. After he was long gone, Gourry whispered to Lina, "I still think he's waiting for something."

"And just what would that be? Even if he is waiting for something, that knowledge is of no use to us unless we know what it is!" Lina sighed, "Come on, the sooner we're in and out of Elmekia the better."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for everyone who indulged my idiosyncrasies and voted! Han and Leia were the overwhelming winners.


	9. Ickipoo! The Butchered Past, the Resultant Future!

Dinner had been a marvelous affair, but now the dishes had been stacked and taken away, and the owner of the inn waited impatiently for the group of five to finish their conversation and head off to bed. Unfortunately for him, the five were in a bit of an argument, and the thought of heading off to bed was the furthest thing from the minds of any of them.

"The quickest way to Elmekia is through Trespin," Lina said, "And with Xellos appearing, and with this information we have about people trying to resurrect Shabranigdo that I received from Sis, it is prudent that we get to Elmekia as quickly as possible and get that spell!"

"That's right, Miss Lina!" Amelia said, "Nothing must stand in the way of justice!"

"I agree completely!" Gourry chimed in.

“You’ll find no argument from me.” Scarlet added as she sipped her tea.

"Well I don't." Zelgadis said, "Trespin is a small, yet dangerous town, and I suggest we avoid it at all costs."

"Yeah, what is it about this Trespin anyway? I've certainly never heard of it before." Gourry said.

"Well that's about normal for you Mr. Gourry." Amelia said.

"Hey!"

"The scary thing is," Lina said, "I've not heard of it myself."

"From what I know it’s just another small town on the border of Elmekia." Amelia said.

"A small town with a rather high crime rate." Zelgadis said, "We certainly don't need any more trouble."

"Unfortunately, Zel, trouble seems to follow us wherever we go. Besides, I am the infamous bandit killer, Lina Inverse! Certainly this town has nothing that I haven't dealt with before. Besides, if you spend your life avoiding every little thing that could lead you into trouble, you're better off not living it."

"I must say this isn't like you at all, Mr. Zelgadis." Amelia said.

"Amelia's right. You tend to stick to the small scary places where people won’t be so frightened by you rather than the greener pastures." Lina said, "Just what is it you have against Trespin?"

Zelgadis stood up, growling, "You want to go to Trespin, fine. Just don't say I didn't warn you. I'm going to bed."

The four watched silently as he climbed up the stairs and disappeared out of earshot. The owner of the restaurant silently cheered, hoping the others would join him soon. "Hey, what's with him?" Gourry asked.

"I have no idea," Lina said.

Amelia sighed heavily, Lina turned to her, "What is it Amelia?"

"Oh, nothing. I just thought that he was starting to come out of his shell, and now he's just retreated back in again." She thought for a moment before adding, "Still, I don't know what he has against Trespin. From what I've heard it's just an ordinary small town."

"Yes, and it's the quickest way to Elmekia. That means tomorrow, we're off to Trespin!" Lina said, standing up and striking a dramatic poise.

"Yeah!" Gourry yelled.

Amelia looked at them and sighed again, "I'm going to bed."

* * *

Lina woke up with a gasp and a tight feeling in her chest. She took some deep, steadying breaths as she looked around her inn and did her best to shake the vestiges of the dream. But like all nightmares, it was so vivid it was hard to shake the feeling that it was real! But, she reminded herself, they weren’t even in the Elmekian Empire yet, so Gourry couldn’t have been killed by his family.

Tears spotted her coverlet as the image of Gourry surrounded by vicious family members rose, followed by the flow of his blood on the sand. It had all seemed so real! What if it was a warning of what would happen if he returned to his home?

She had to check on him! She got out of bed and padded out the door and into the hallway and was about to go to his room when she saw Scarlet coming up the stairs. “Lina?” Scarlet asked, “Is everything all right?”

“Yeah,” Lina said as she tried to feign chipperness, “What are you doing up?”

“Just going to bed at long last. I was in the kitchen finishing up some notes. I don’t sleep much.” Scarlet said brusquely. She then scrutinized Lina, “Do you want to talk? You seem a little shaken.”

“Yeah, I guess I do want to talk.” Lina said as something troubled the back of her mind. Then she turned to Gourry’s door, “Night.”

“I thought you wanted to talk.” Scarlet protested.

“I do. To Gourry.” Lina clarified. “Night.”

* * *

Zelgadis came down fully covered in his hood and mask the next morning when they set out to leave, and the conversation on the road to Trespin was definitely stilted. Zelgadis's usual crotchety mood was even more crotchety than usual, and the air of foreboding around him was so strong that even Amelia went back to walk with Lina and Gourry. Lina frowned at that point and went up to Zelgadis, "Hey Zel, care to tell us what your problem is?"

"Go away, Lina." He said.

"Look, if you want to be grumpy, that's you own problem. Unfortunately, your attitude is having a negative effect on my morale, and that is just inexcusable and unforgivable!"

"Lina…"

"Now, if you would just explain to me the reasons for your loathing of Trespin, I might just forgive you, but they had better be good."

"If you don't stop pestering me, then I might just split off and go on my own again."

Lina's jaw dropped, "Oh, I can't believe this! With Xellos and…"

"I know, don't push me."

Lina gave him a glare that would scare the living daylights out of anything with an ounce of sense before going back to join Gourry, Amelia and Scarlet. The five continued on in silence.

* * *

The sound of a sword slashing through the air rang against the silence of the night. Up, down, in, out…skillfully she went through the motions. She was not a tall woman, and for someone studying swordplay she was rather scrawny, yet she kept at it, her grey eyes brimming with determination, strands of her long blue hair falling into her eyes from the headband she tried to keep them back with. "Supper time!" a voice rang from the house.

The young woman held the sword out in front of her for a moment before lowering it and taking a deep breath before heading into the house.

* * *

They entered Trespin late in the evening. Zelgadis had kept his mask on all day, and his angsty silence had soured even Amelia's chipper mood. "Let’s find an inn and stay here for the night," Lina said, "Then we'll leave early tomorrow for Elmekia!"

"I'd prefer not to stay here."

"The next town is half a day’s walk, and I don't feel like camping out tonight." Lina countered.

“Seconded.” Scarlet said.

"I'd have to agree with Lina as well on this one." Gourry interjected.

"Me too." Amelia said.

Zelgadis sighed, "Fine, then. I'll just continue on my own and meet up with you tomorrow."

"Wait a minute, Zel, there's no need for that!" Lina said.

"Mr. Zelgadis, why are you acting like this?" Amelia asked.

Lina thought for a moment, "Hey Zel, you seem to know a lot about Trespin. Ever been here before?"

Zelgadis looked away suddenly, "Stay out of this, Lina."

Lina clasped her hands together, "I know! Some old girlfriend you don't want to encounter!"

"Wha-at?" Amelia cried, "No, it can't be!"

"An old girlfriend?" Zelgadis shot back, and then he laughed a bit, "Ah, Lina, so far, yet so close."

"An old boyfriend, then?" Lina asked, "I mean, there was that whole Miwan incident…"

"Now look here…"

"Uh, guys…" Gourry said.

"What is it, Gourry?" Lina asked, turning on him and stamping her feet, "And this had better be good, in case you haven't noticed, we're in a delicate situation here, and I don't need you going around making the situation even more precarious…"

"Well, I just thought you'd like to know we're surrounded by trolls."

Lina looked around her to see that they were indeed surrounded by trolls. Turning slightly blue she muttered, "Oh…I guess that is kind of important. Hehe, well, how about a DIL BRAND!"

The area encircling them exploding, knocking most of the trolls off their feet, yet causing them no damage at all. "Time to see what this blade can do!" Gourry said eagerly as he drew his new sword and worked on decapitating the fallen trolls. Zelgadis quickly drew his own sword, chanting, "ASTRAL VINE!" and ran to help Gourry with decapitating the trolls.

"MONO VOLT!" Amelia yelled, completely frying a fallen troll while Scarlet attacked with the Zelas Brid spell. All too soon, however, the trolls were back up and ready to fight. Zelgadis lunged at one, who brought his arm up to block the blow, his ugly fingernails brushing Zel's mask and ripping it off. Unfazed, Zel put his hand to the ground yelling, "DUG HAUT!" and spikes of earth grew upward, impaling several unfortunate trolls who happened to be standing at the wrong place.

Suddenly, a new voice rang through the night sounding a battle cry, and a blue haired woman sprang into the fight, sword drawn. She attacked the nearest troll to her, deftly decapitating it from behind before the troll even knew she was there and then turning her attention to another target. "It can't be!" Zelgadis said as he saw her. 

"Who's she?" Gourry asked. 

"Whoever she is," Lina said, "She appears to be helping us, so let's let her do her job, okay boys?"

"Right, Lina!" Gourry said.

Zelgadis grunted, but continued fighting. They had gotten most of the trolls when Lina had knocked them down with the Dil Brand, and only a few remained, and between the six, they were soon taken care of, leaving Lina, Gourry, Zelgadis, Amelia and Scarlet to stare at the newcomer who smiled at them. "Sorry about that, these trolls have been pestering the village lately. I've gotten rather apt at killing them, and most of the townspeople know to stay indoors at night. It’s you newcomers that tend to get hurt, though."

"Uh, thanks," Lina said, wondering what trolls were doing attacking a village. It was rather unusual… "We were just passing through, we'll probably be staying the night, if you could point us to an inn."

"Oh, of course, to your right and down…" she stopped suddenly as she saw Zelgadis. "Strange, you look familiar, though I don't think I've ever seen a golem before. Still…" she walked up to him, locking eyes with him. 

Zelgadis turned to walk away, "Don't!" she said, "Who are you? I helped you out, you owe me that much!"

"One third golem," Zel corrected, slightly annoyed, "One third human, one third demon."

"That voice!" she said, "It can't be! Brother?"

Zelgadis sighed, "I've been through some changes since you last saw me."

"But…but what happened?"

"Sorry to break up the reunion," Lina said, "But just who is this, Zel?"

Zelgadis turned to the group, "Zelena, meet Lina Inverse, Gourry Gabriev, Princess Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun and Dr. Scarlet Rubaka. Guys, meet Zelena Greywards, my sister."

"Lina Inverse?" Zelena asked, her eyes widening in surprise, "The Lina Inverse? And the Princess of Seyruun?"

"Sister?" Lina, Gourry and Amelia all said together, "Then this must be Mr. Zelgadis's hometown." Amelia said.

Zelgadis looked away, "Yes."

Suddenly Zelena threw herself into Zelgadis's arms, who stiffened at first before returning the embrace, "Oh, I've missed you so much! With Mom and Dad dead, and life here being so dull, and it seems as though you've been on tons of adventures since you left to study with Great Grandfather, and I want to hear all about them! Your friends are welcome to come, too. You've been away so long without writing or anything, and it’s not every day that one gets to entertain Lina Inverse and a princess. Come on, I've so much to tell you, but I want to hear all about your adventures first."

"Zelena, wait," Zelgadis said, pulling out of the embrace and taking her hands, "I'm not here for a homecoming. My friends and I are on a mission, and we've got some monster on our tail, and the quickest way to our destination was through Trespin."

"But you are going to have to stay the night," Zelena said, "The land is currently teeming with trolls. Some curse that has been placed on the town since you left. Come, let's at least get to some shelter before more come."

"Oh, alright," Zelgadis said, and Zelena took the lead while the others followed.

* * *

"So that's Zel's sister, eh." Lina muttered.

"Well, they do look alike at least." Gourry said.

"Oh, this is so exciting!" Amelia said, "First we got to meet Miss Lina's family and now we're meeting Mr. Zelgadis's family and soon we'll be meeting Mr. Gourry's family!"

"Trust me, Amelia, there'll be nothing nice about meeting my family." Gourry said as Lina paled.

They entered a rather dead looking inn, checked in, and then moved to the restaurant to set about to placing their meals. While the others were stuffing their faces with huge quantities of food, Zelgadis and Zelena sat with cups of coffee, Zelgadis explaining to her what had happened since he had left home, "Then Rezo came to me one night telling me that if it were strength I sought, he would give it to me in exchange for my help in getting the Philosopher's Stone. Like a fool, I agreed, and he turned me into this chimera to achieve that end!"

Zelena took a sip of coffee, sighing, "That's terrible! I can't believe Great Grandfather would do that! He seemed so kind when he went to take you with him on his journey."

"You mean take me off Anita's hands." Zelgadis muttered.

“Anita?” Amelia asked.

Zelgadis looked at Zelena, “Our parents died suddenly. A woman named Anita took us in. She was happy to keep Zelena with her and Rezo didn’t seem that interested in raising her, Zelena being so young. But I was handed over to that madman without a second thought!”

Zelena sighed and put a hand on his arm, "Money was tight, and she couldn’t afford to keep both of us. Besides, she had no idea about his true nature. And how many kids from our village get the opportunity to study under the tutelage of one of the Five Wise Men? Who would pass up that kind of an opportunity?"

"Someone should have figured that something was off about it." Zelgadis stubbornly insisted.

Zelena bit her lip, "So how did you meet with this bunch?"

Zelgadis then went on to explain how Lina had acquired the Philosopher's Stone and how Rezo had resurrected Shabranigdo shortly thereafter, and how Lina, Gourry and himself had fought and defeated the Dark Lord (with Lina interjecting numerous times to clarify exactly her part in it). He then explained about how Eris had posted wanted posters of him everywhere, leading to his encountering of the group again, with Amelia in tow this time, and the defeat of Copy Rezo and Zannafar. Zelena listened with rapt attention as he told her of his search for the Claire Bible and their battle against Gaav and Hellmaster Phibrizo, before ending with their defeat of Dark Star and the current events leading to their current predicament. By that time, a great deal of the night had passed, and even Lina had had enough dessert for one night. The innkeeper had given up on them ever going to bed and had left. He knew Zelena fairly well and would come after her with the bill later.

"Well," Lina said, standing up, "I think I'll be off to bed. Nice meeting you, Zelena!"

Zelena smiled, "A pleasure to meet you as well, Miss Inverse."

"Lina," she clarified, "All that 'Miss Inverse' stuff…it grates on my nerves. Night all!" she said, getting up with Gourry soon following her, tailed by Scarlet. Amelia finally stood up herself, "Well, I guess I'd better let you two get fully re-acquainted. I hope to see you again, Miss Zelena." She then looked directly at Zelgadis and smiled, "Goodnight, Mr. Zelgadis." She said, before springing off to bed.

Zelena raised an eyebrow, "I do believe the Princess likes you."

Zelgadis blushed, "You're imagining things."

Zelena smiled, "I'm beginning to think that you like the Princess."

"Could we change the subject, Zelena?"

Zelena shrugged, "If you'd like. But let me say, you should never let a good thing pass you by. So, now. What should we talk about?"

"What have you been up to?"

"Nothing much compared to what you’re doing. Teaching some basic sorcery and protecting the town from the trolls at night. That’s about it."

"So there's no question of you running off with us and joining us on our adventure, is there?" Zelgadis said, his voice carefully neutral.

"Someone has to protect the town. I hate it here, but too many people would be hurt if I left. You could visit more often, however. These trolls are good enough exercise, but since Master Swordsman Lief died there's no one here with any skill that I can challenge. Besides that, you’re the only family I have left and I miss you. And you should bring Princess Amelia with you."

"Listen, Zelena, I have no intention of settling down when I look like such a freak and as for Amelia…well, she's the crowned princess of Seyruun. Me, not only am I a commoner, but I'm also a chimera! Even if she would have me, the royal council of Seyruun would never approve."

"It’s not the royal council of Seyruun's decision to make, now is it? It's Princess Amelia's. Besides, from what I've heard of Prince Philionel and Princess Amelia, I don't think that they'd let any old council stand in the way of true love. But, you will never know unless you try." Zelena got up then, "I really must run a patrol. I'll stop by for breakfast and to see you all off. It was great seeing you again, Brother."

* * *

Lina woke up crying. The dream she had had the previous night had come back to haunt her! The exact same dream! Lina sat up and brushed her hair back and resisted the urge to go into Gourry’s room. When she’d spoken to him last night he’d given her this song and dance about how everything would be fine and what she had dreamt wouldn’t come to pass. She wasn’t sure if she should buy it or not. But at least she was sure that for now he was currently sleeping safely in the room next to hers.

She sighed and looked around her room, lit dimly by the moonlight streaming through the window. Her eyes fell on a book that she didn’t recognize. Had her stuff gotten mixed in with the others? She picked the book up and squinted and was just barely able to discern the title: Dreams or Prophecy? How to Tell?

“LIGHTING!” Lina called, and then she got her spectacles out and started reading.

* * *

Zelgadis hadn't slept much that night, but then for various reasons, no one in the group really had. But everyone was fairly chipper for once. Lina actually looked up from breakfast the next morning when Zelena came to the inn, "Zelena, over here!" she said, waving her over, "We were wondering if you would care to tell us just what Zel was like when he was little."

Zelgadis blushed suddenly, "Butt out, Lina."

Zelena smiled, "About the same as he is now. I seem to remember him as being a bit more friendly, though."

"Gee, thanks, Zelena." Zelgadis muttered.

Breakfast was a quick affair, the journey to Elmekia was still tantamount in all of their minds, and they wanted to get an early start. Lina, Gourry, Amelia and Scarlet quickly made their good-byes to Zelena, leaving her alone with Zelgadis. “Hey Zel, how well do you know that Scarlet?” Zelena asked.

Zelgadis frowned, “Not too well. She showed up about a month or so ago. Why?”

Zelena bit her lip, “It might be nothing, but when I came back from my patrol yesterday I noticed her chanting outside the window to Lina’s room.”

“What?” Zelgadis asked.

“It might be nothing, but I thought I should mention it.”

Zelgadis bit his lip. Gourry had mentioned something about Lina having a nightmare the previous night. “Thanks. I’ll talk to Lina, just in case.” Then he smiled at her. "Though I didn't want to run into you again, I'm glad I did." 

Zelena embraced him again, "And you'd better run into me again, or I might just hunt you out myself and knock some sense into you."

"Stay well, Zelena."

"Good luck," she said, turning away towards home, "Good luck with the monsters, and good luck with the Princess!"


	10. Jolly Good! On the Way to Elmekia, We Encounter a Couple of Monsters

The five strode casually through the town, ignoring the street vendors and the lure of the shops on either side of them. Something had been pressing on the fears of all of them today, and suddenly getting to the town specified by Sorcerer Keran in Elmekia where the other part of his spell was seemed even more pertinent.

For once, the silence that hung over the group was not caused by a frosty anger towards one or more of the members of the group. They were all nervous, and it was climbing towards the breaking point when Lina finally started laughing, "What is with us today?" she asked, "You'd think we were marching to our funerals or something. Nothing like a good meal to put us back into good spirits, right? This place looks good."

"Lina's right," Gourry said, "And I am getting pretty hungry."

"And so am I." A strange voice said. All turned around to see something that looked like a cross between a walrus and a mouse stood before them.

"Oh great," Lina said, "A monster. Just what do you want from us this time?”

Energy sprang from his hands, "To kill you."

Zelgadis and Amelia quickly raised a force shield protecting them from an attack on the front. It was then that a tingling sensation spread through Lina's neck, and a feeling of death lurking behind her filled her. She turned, calling forth another force field just seconds before another beam of energy from another monster hit them. This one would have looked human, had it not been for the fact that instead of arms and legs, he had blades that looked as sharp as any sword.

"Gaah!" the first monster said as he realized his plain had failed.

Lina thought furiously. In the middle of town, she couldn't use any of her big spells, and they couldn't hide behind the force fields forever. In addition, there was no telling how many other monsters were in on this plan. Lina bit her lip. Her options were limited so long as they remained within the town, which meant they somehow had to get away from it.

"Alright guys, listen up," she said, loud enough for the others to hear but, hopefully, quietly enough so that the monsters wouldn't, "As soon as they stop bombarding us with energy, I'm going to cast a Dil Brand, and then we run out of town and into a clearing. Zel, Amelia, maintain a shield behind us. Scarlet, see about going on the offense with a Zelas Brid. Gourry, we're going to need your instincts. We'll figure out what to do once we get to the clearing. Got it?"

All nodded. After what seemed like hours but was probably only minutes, the bombardment of energy stopped. Lina cast the Dil Brand, momentarily shielding the group from view in dust, and within a split second the group had taken off. The monsters did not seem to be pursuing, yet they continued to run for their lives. Finally they reached the edge of the town and came to a clearing when Lina suddenly sensed the aura of death that surrounds a monster and Gourry yelled, "Look out from above us!"

Zel and Amelia lifted a shield just as balls of energy hit them from above. The walrus/mouse hybrid appeared, "You think you can run from me, the great Grau?" he sneered.

Lina smiled, "Of course not. We just wanted to choose our own battlefield."

"Well, unfortunately for you, you have just run into out trap." Grau said.

"What?" Lina said as suddenly they were surrounded by two monsters and eight lesser demons. The two monsters there looked to be lesser monsters, but a monster was a monster, and one on its own was bad enough, but two? With eight lesser demons to back it up? "This is not my day." Lina said.

"It can't be!" Zelgadis said.

Gourry suddenly raised a battle cry. He lifted his sword and destroyed a demon with ease. Suddenly, they were slammed on all sides by attack spells. The bombardment was so heavy that Zel, Amelia, Scarlet and Lina were all needed to protect against it. Gourry didn't dare step outside the field to use his sword for fear of being blown up. "We've got to scatter them somehow," Lina said, "I can get at least two of them with the Dragon Slave I think. Once I've done that, Zel, Amelia, Scarlet take off to the west, Gourry and I will go east and we'll go from there."

"Okay," Amelia said, sounding nervous. Splitting up didn't sound like the best idea to her, but she certainly didn't have a better one. Zelgadis also acknowledged unhappily. Whichever way you cut it, the situation was morbid. Gourry hefted his sword and waited.

"Lord of Darkness of the four worlds, I call upon you, grant me all the power that you possess," Lina said, the amulets on her arms, waist and neck glowing, "Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows," a magical shield of protection was generated as she started casting the spell and she stepped outside of the safety of the shield generated by Zelgadis and Amelia so that the Dragon Slave would have a stronger effect, "Buried in the stream of time is where your power grows. I pledge myself to conqueror, all the foes who stand before the mighty gift bestowed in my unworthy hand. Let the fools who stand before me be destroyed by the power you and I possess! DRAGON SLAVE!"

She hit the two in front of her full on, destroying them instantly. Gourry seized the opportunity to cut another one down with his new sword.

"RA TILT!" Zelgadis and Amelia yelled, taking out two more, leaving only two left to fight with, before taking off to the west with Scarlet, the humanoid monster following them. Gourry and Lina ran to the east with Grau in toe.

Lina turned suddenly to face Grau, "FIREBALL!" she cried. As expected, Grau absorbed it easily. It was a distraction, though, for Gourry to attack him with the Blast Sword. Grau had studied to two's tactics, however, and dodged, grabbing the swordsman and throwing him at Lina. "You fool!" he spat as Gourry hit Lina, knocking them both to the ground. From under Gourry Lina cried, "ELMEKIA LANCE!"

The spell bounced off him harmlessly. May be he wasn't as low of a grade of monster as Lina had mistaken him for. Grau laughed, and Gourry got off Lina. Both stood, Gourry's sword raised and Lina's hands positioned for spell casting, trying to think of what to do next.

* * *

"RA TILT!" Zel and Amelia cried. The monster laughed, placing a shield in front of him, "Useless against Argazi!"

Winged creatures materialized around Argazi, "Now, my pets," Argazi said to the creatures, "Destroy them!"

"ELMEKIA LANCE!" Amelia yelled, hitting one of the creatures full on, causing it to crumble as Scarlet took out another one.

"DIGU VOLT!" Zelgadis yelled, and lightning erupted from his hands taking out another of the winged creatures. He drew his sword as another swooped down to attack him, "ASTRAL VINE!" he yelled, slicing through the creature.

"Mr. Zelgadis, look!" Amelia cried as the three creatures they killed suddenly regenerated. One flew right to Scarlet, who threw her hands over her face. But it did little to protect her as the creature’s feet hit her head, knocking her to the ground.

"Impossible!" Zelgadis cried as Amelia knelt to check on her. She was out cold but alive.

Argazi laughed, "These creatures have made the Pledge of Immortality with me. To kill them, you have to kill me!"

"The Pledge of Immortality?" Zelgadis echoed.

"It can't be," Amelia whispered.

Amelia and Zelgadis exchanged a look, "You distract the creatures, I'll challenge Argazi." Zelgadis said.

Amelia nodded, "Right!" she said.

* * *

"…May all the fools who stand before me be destroyed by the power you and I possess, DRAGON SLAVE!" Lina yelled.

Grau laughed, shifting through dimensions and reappearing behind Lina. Gourry was there suddenly, sword drawn when Grau lifted his arm, blocking Gourry's blow and using his other arm to throw Lina to the ground. Grau kept his other arm moving as he swung it around and was about to hit Gourry when the swordsman dodged behind the monster and was about to cleave him with his sword when Grau shifted dimensions again. "Damn," Gourry said, "Almost had him."

Lina got up, looking around suspiciously, "Looks like I underrated him." She said, moving to stand back to back with Gourry. Now he had to materialize where one of them could face him. They waited, and waited, ears and eyes strained wishing that Grau would attack just so that way they could get it over with. Sweat trickled down Lina's brow. "He must be waiting for us to relax our guard." She said.

"We just won't give him what he wants, then." Gourry said, swing his sword for emphasis.

Laughter was heard, "But humans are such fragile beings. You need food and rest. You can't stand there forever!"

"And you can't hide forever!" Lina yelled, "You act so big and tough, hiding behind that dimensional barrier like a coward! Why don't you come out and face us?" she smiled suddenly, her ruby eyes taking on a dangerous gleam, "Or is the little monster scared?"

"Um, Lina, is baiting him a good idea?" Gourry asked as he sweatdropped.

More laughter, "If you want us to come out, fine then. We'll come out."

"Umm, did he just say 'we'll'?" Lina asked, her face turning blue.

Gourry nodded, "He definitely said 'we'll.'"

"That's what I thought he said," Lina said, readying her arms, "Well, let them come!"

* * *

"FIREBALL!" Amelia called, "FLARE ARROW! MONO VOLT!" her spells cut through the winged creatures easily, yet there was always more and those who fell always rejuvenated. Somehow, though, she had managed to clear a path for Zelgadis to reach Argazi, thanking her lucky stars that the creatures didn’t seem that interested in Scarlet. While she worried about just leaving her there without treatment, there was no way she could stop fighting at the moment to provide it! Meanwhile, Zelgadis ran, sword drawn and glowing red from his Astral Vine spell.

"Silly human, do you really expect that to work?" Argazi asked as he prepared to deflect the sword's blow.

"Well, not exactly," Zelgadis said as he reached Argazi, dropping the sword and chanting, "RA TILT!" leaving Argazi with no time to put up a defense shield against it. Argazi disappeared, the creatures disappearing with him. Zelgadis picked up his sword, looking around and finding only a confused looking Amelia. "Umm, did you get him…Mr. Zelgadis?"

Zelgadis looked around suspiciously, "I don't know."

Amelia and Zelgadis moved closer together. The sense of urgency had not waned and things…did not feel right. A prickling sensation began at the base of both of their necks and suddenly they were attacked by winged creatures from all sides. Rising laughter was heard above the onslaught, and Amelia and Zelgadis knew that Argazi was through with playing games. In alarm Amelia noticed they were being pushed away from Scarlet, but fortunately the monsters still seemed to be leaving her alone.

"Damn, and we can't even reach him when he isn't in this dimension!" Zelgadis said.

"If Miss Lina were here she could cast a Ragna Blade, except she wouldn't know where to cast it." Amelia said sorrowfully.

"Speaking of Lina, she and Gourry must be having it pretty tough as well if they haven't come to help us."

Amelia smiled suddenly, "Well, we must fight with courage and justice, then, and help Miss Lina and Mr. Gourry! A courageous hero against a cowardly villain who won't even show himself will ultimately prevail!"

Zelgadis sighed, and knew better than to try and say anything, "DIGU VOLT!"

* * *

"Oh great," Lina said, "Three of them. Three more monsters! Three! This day just keeps getting worse."

Gourry frowned. "Looks like this could be the end."

Lina smiled, "But then, we have faced grim situations before and have somehow managed to come out on top, and I'm not about to stop now! Gourry, cover me!"

"Alright!" Gourry said, comforted by the fact that Lina seemed to at least have a plan as she started chanting, "Lord of Darkness of the four worlds, grant me all the power that you possess!"

Beams of energy were thrown at Lina, but she was protected by the shield that the spell she casted generated, and whenever a monster got too close, Gourry's blade was there to ensure that none would hurt her. "Lord of the dreams that terrify…"

"Now, now," a new voice said, and Lina and Gourry both looked up in surprise, "Xellos?" they asked.

"There's no need for that, and even then, you'd only be able to get one of them. I would have expected more from the infamous monster killer, Lina Inverse." Xellos said.

"And just where have you been this whole time?" Lina asked, "And just whose side are you on?"

"Now, now Miss Lina, there's no need to worry! Luck is with you, as circumstances have forced me to side with you this one time." He said, purple eyes opening, a gleam appearing as he gazed at the three lesser monsters before him. "Oh dear, just what am I to do with you, Grau, going against Greater Beast's plans like this."

"I take orders from Lord Dynast!” Grau spat “He was tired of waiting.”

"Well," Xellos said, closing one eye, "You realize that I can't let you carry on like this."

"Damn you, Xellos!" Grau said, and with that, he and the other three monsters disappeared.

Xellos turned to Lina and Gourry. Lina eyed him suspiciously. Gourry looked like he didn't know what to think. "Xellos, I guess I owe you some thanks, but I think you also owe me an explanation."

"Come, come Lina!" he said, "First we need to help Zelgadis and Amelia. They are pretty much up to their necks as well, explanations will follow, I assure you."

Lina looked skeptical, but he was right about helping Zel and Amelia, "Well, let's go then."

* * *

Things were not going well at all for Zel and Amelia. The constant flood of creatures who never died was taxing both of their reserves of energy, and with Argazi hiding in a separate dimension, there was no real way to fight him. Spells were thrown out, none having any real effect, until out of desperation Amelia cried, "SLEEPING!"

One by one, the creatures fell asleep, dropping from the sky in a circle around them. Amelia sighed, "Ah, victory!" she said, flashing the victory sign.

"It'll give us a chance to run at least," Zelgadis said, "Give us time to regroup."

"I don't think I can allow that." Argazi said.

Amelia slumped forward, hands balling into fists, "Oh, why can't he just take a break!"

"I think you might want to take her suggestion, Argazi." Xellos said as he arrived with Lina and Gourry in tow.

For once, Argazi didn't seem to have anything to say, as the feeling of death that accompanied his presence suddenly vanished.

"Xellos!" Zelgadis spat.

"Now, now, Zelgadis," Xellos said, "I did save your life after all."

"Yeah, but how long before you stab us in the back?"

"That's not important right now," Amelia said as she knelt down to check on Scarlet.

"Amelia?" Zelgadis cried.

"RECOVERY! What's important is that we find out what is going on and regroup. Right Miss Lina?"

"Right Amelia." Lina confirmed, her gaze never wavering from Xellos however, "Now, Xellos, I seem to recall that an explanation was in order."


	11. Kindled Flames! The Traitorous Monster Race!

For once the group wasn't diving into their food, even though the previous fight had left them extremely hungry. They had been hard pressed in the previous fight, and just who those monsters were and why they were fighting them was something at the top of their list of things to figure out. Also near the top was why Xellos, a monster himself, was helping them. Lina glared at Xellos through bites of roast beef before asking, "So, Xellos, mind telling us just what exactly is going on?"

"Well of course, Lina!" he said, "I would be more than happy to tell you about what's going on. Well, what I can, that is."

Lina sighed, "I knew it. Alright, Xellos, tell us what you can, then."

"Alright then!" Xellos said, "It seems, Miss Lina, that certain members of the monster race want you dead."

All slumped forward, "Yeah, we figured that part out. Why exactly do they want me dead?" Lina asked.

"Why because they're scared of you, of course!" Xellos said, "You're starting to be known as 'The Monster Slayer' in certain circles. After all, not only have you killed many monsters such as Mazenda, Kanzeil, and Seigram, and have been behind the death of Gaav and Hellmaster, but you have been responsible for the destruction of 1/7th of the Dark Lord, Shabranigdo, and you did defeat Dark Star and the ghost of Shabranigdo. Your list of accomplishments is rather astounding, really, and unfortunately for you, a lot of monsters are starting to feel threatened by your very existence. So to prevent their own destruction, they have banded together to ensure your destruction."

"Makes sense," Lina said, "But shouldn't they also know that I just don't go around hunting monsters for the fun of it? I am rather fond of living after all. Shouldn't they know that they are only in danger if they threaten me or the world in some way?"

Xellos sipped his tea thoughtfully, "Perhaps," he said.

Lina didn't buy it, "I know you’re trying to resurrect Shabranigdo.”

"Let's just say that Greater Beast has her own plans for you, and that those plans are…a secret!" he said, raising a finger and winking. All slouched forward again, Lina resting her face in her hands. "I have a bad feeling about this." Lina murmured.

"Now, now, Lina, there’s no need to worry." Xellos said, "You have already severely depleted their army. It was why I intervened after all.”

"Just tell me this much, Xellos," Lina said, "Will they resurrect Shabranigdo while they are trying to kill me, or will they wait till after I'm dead."

"They wouldn't dare risk resurrecting the Dark Lord until you're safely dead!" Xellos said, "If perchance you do destroy him, their plans would be utterly destroyed. They feel it safer to resurrect him once you have been taken care of. That, and they don't want to divide their resources you see."

Lina looked thoughtful, "Well that simplifies things." She then gazed directly at Xellos, "So, you're on our side this time, right?"

"Why yes, so long as it suits my interests, that is."

Lina took another bite of food, "I figured as much. Guess there's not much point in drilling anymore information out of you, is there?"

"I'm afraid I've told you all I'm able to."

"Well then, let's eat!"

* * *

The image of blood spilt on a desert land faded as Lina’s eyes shot open and soaked in the dark hotel room. She took a deep, ragged breath and brought her hand to her face. It was damp with tears. While Lina had been through hell and back and was used to nightmares, she wasn’t used to having repeating ones like this. Was she just really anxious about taking Gourry back to his homeland? Or were the dreams trying to tell her something? Or was it something else?

She sat up in bed, remembering the strange book on dreams and prophecies that seemed to have appeared from nowhere. Its sudden appearance was as troubling as her recurring nightmares. And then there was the information from Zelgadis about what Zelena had witnessed. With a sigh she pulled back the covers and dressed. There was no way she was going to be able to sleep now. She thought briefly about going to Gourry’s room to make sure he was alright, but discarded it. While it was her first choice, she didn’t want him to think she was becoming weak. She also didn’t want anyone else to think that either. And she seemed to have remembered Scarlet making some noise about how she overheard the cook saying that she would leave some extra food in the kitchen tonight.

By the time she finished dressing she was no longer trembling and she hoped she looked composed. Quietly she walked from her room, down the stairs and towards the kitchen. She wasn’t too surprised to see a light was on. In fact, she would have been more stunned to find it was dark. The presence of Scarlet didn’t surprise her either. “Evening. Or, rather, morning I suppose.” The other woman said brusquely, “Couldn’t sleep?”

Lina walked to the ice box and considered her next move. Generally she didn’t like showing weakness, but…

“No, bad dream.” She finally said, trying to sound as baffled as possible as she found a plate of sandwiches and a pitcher of milk. She grabbed them and took them with her to a nearby table. Scarlet joined her.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Have you been having them often? You just seem to be waking up a lot lately.”

Lina poured herself a glass of milk. “Now that you mention it, I have. Every night since we left Zefiel City. It’s strange.”

Lina put the glass of milk to her lips and took a sip and stopped as a subtle but peculiar taste hit her tongue. Scarlet leaned forward in interest as Lina set the milk down. “What about, if you don’t mind my asking? I do find dreams fascinating.”

Lina grabbed a sandwich and took a bite. There was that same subtle taste. Lina set the sandwich down, “It’s stupid really.”

Scarlet laughed a little, “All dreams are stupid, really.”

Lina nodded a bit, “I just keep dreaming that Gourry will die if we go to Elmekia.”

Scarlet’s face took a serious countenance. “Actually, that doesn’t sound stupid at all.”

Lina pushed the plate away from her, “Yeah, I’ve rather lost my appetite.”

“Lina, how do you know that this is just a dream and not a warning?”

“Huh?”

“Well, you are a powerful sorceress. And sometimes our dreams try to warn us about something. And Gourry did say that it would be dangerous for him to step foot in the Elmekian Empire. But he will do it because he loves you do much.”

Lina felt a blush tear through her, “Wait a minute! He never said ‘love.’”

“Oh, stop pretending it’s not there. You two aren’t fooling anyone, not your friends much less your enemies. That’s why you try to hide it, isn’t it? You wouldn’t want anyone exploiting that weakness to use against you?”

“If you have a point, get to it.” Lina said pointedly.

Scarlet patted her hair, drawing Lina’s attention to the fact that her hand was trembling. Was Scarlet nervous? “Perhaps you should go to the Elmekian Empire with me. Just the two of us. Two people can travel faster than five. We can get in and out of there so quick that we’d be back before Gourry and the others crossed the border. Then you wouldn’t have to risk his life and worry about leaving with his blood on your hands.”

Lina folded her arms across her stomach and deliberated for a moment, “I have to grab a few things from my room. Meet you on the porch in ten minutes?”

Scarlet smiled as a look of relief washed through her eyes, and the she pushed the plate of sandwiches back to Lina, “Sounds like a plan. And eat up! It’s going to be an arduous journey.”

Lina let out a breath, “It sure is.”

* * *

Lina took the plate of sandwiches and milk up with her to her room and sat them under her bed. She could all too easily imagine Gourry coming into her room, seeing them on her desk and scarfing them down before he saw the note. Lina hurriedly gathered her items and found some parchment and her quill and hurriedly wrote a letter. She placed it on the desk. Then she stared at the window.

_Gourry is going to be so mad,_ she thought to herself. Still, something was up with Scarlet. And this was the only way she knew to get to the bottom of it.

Slowly, to make as little sound as possible, she opened the window. “LEVITATION!” 

Gradually she glided back down to earth and found Scarlet waiting by the porch. “You ready?” she asked.

Lina nodded, “Let’s get going.”

* * *

As the hours wore on, Lina became more convinced of one thing. Scarlet was nervous.

Scarlet was constantly checking behind her back as the trembling in her hands became more pronounced. Considering Scarlet always seemed so composed it was a bit startling. But why was she nervous? Was it because a potion hadn’t taken effect? Or something else? Either way, Scarlet wasn’t talking.

Lina watched her unobtrusively as the sun started to peak over the horizon. She hoped that whatever she was going to do, she would do soon, before she got too far away from the others. She noticed as Scarlet looked to her left and stopped. “Goodness, have a look at that.” She exclaimed.

Cautiously Lina tilted her head to follow her gaze. She saw a tree, partially uprooted, with a chest of gold tangled in the roots. “Gold!” Lina exclaimed as diamonds formed in her eyes.

She took a step forward, and then the fact that she was with Scarlet, who had been acting suspicious, asserted itself. Further, this was a well-traveled road. Only an idiot would have left a box of gold here.

Lina smirked as she remembered a time when she would have completely lost her head over some gold. _Guess I’m growing up._ Still. It was time to get the cards on the table. “Lucky!” Lina said with as much excitement as possible. She sprinted to the chest and was not surprised to feel a tingling sensation at her neck.

“AERO BOMB!” she cast just in time to deflect a Burst Rondo.

Scarlet paled, her arms still in spell casting position as Lina canceled her spell. “Weren’t expecting me to have my powers?” Lina asked.

Scarlet’s eyes grew wider as Lina continued, “Something you put in my food maybe? I can tell when something is poisoned you know.” Lina smiled a little, “My Sis used to feed it to me so I would know what it tastes like.”

“I have my reasons.” Scarlet said.

“And that’s what I came out here to figure out.” Lina said, “Because it seems to me that you’ve been spoiling for an opportunity to get me alone. What with stoking my fears about returning home and the dreams you’ve been planting in my mind.”

Scarlet laughed a little as she realized the game was up as Lina continued, “So tonight I decided if you wanted to get me away from the others so badly, I might as well learn why. So Scarlet, care to educate me?”

“Lina, I know it’s going to be hard for you to hear this. But you have to believe me. And then you have to carefully think about this, about what will be best for this world.”

Lina scowled, “Stop blabbering and start explaining.”

“Lina, you carry a seventh of Shabranigo in your soul.” Lina felt as though she had been punched in the gut. Whatever she had been expecting, this wasn’t it! _But is she telling the truth?_ Lina met her gaze evenly as Scarlet stared at her. Lina quickly decided that Scarlet at least believed she was telling the truth.

_But is she right? Could I really harbor something that evil within me?_

“What?” Lina squeaked.

“BALUS ROD!” Scarlet yelled.

Lina yelped and just barely managed to dodge as Scarlet flung the whip of light towards her. Lina landed awkwardly on her back as Scarlet flung her arm back, obviously posed to bring the whip around again, “I’m sorry Lina, But you know that Dynast and Greater Beast are wanting to resurrect him. Lina, they are wanting to use you to do it! So you see, I can’t let you live!”

Lina rolled and narrowly avoided the spell, springing to her feet. “DIL BRAND!” she cried, and Scarlet jumped back out of range to avoid the spell, letting the Balus Rod die as she did.

“Why should I believe you?” Lina asked.

“There’s a woman in my village who is a legendary soldier. She also has the gift of prophecy. Her name is Sherra.” Scarlet explained.

“Sherra?” Lina repeated.

“She knew about things and people. I told you about Dulgofa, the sword that no one could pull from the stone. That was until my sister tried. And Violet did it! Sherra told her that she had proved herself and my family worthy of the quest to rid Shabranigdo from this world, and she told us the name of someone she’d seen in a vision who had a seventh of Shabranigdo in their soul.” Scarlet explained, “You.”

“Scarlet, wait…” Lina said.

“No, I’m sorry Lina. I actually grew to like you, something I wasn’t expecting given the burden you carry. But I can’t let sentiment blind me to what I need to do! I can’t let you live!”

“DIGU VOLT!” Scarlet yelled.

Lina darted out of the way, and for a moment wondered if it would be best to let Scarlet kill her. After all, if she really did have a piece of Shabranigdo in her soul…

“DUST CHIP!” Scarlet cast. Lina hesitated. And then she was hit with dozens of small ice chips. They scratched at her skin and tore at her clothes, though it did little to actually harm her. But while she was distracted Scarlet continued to chant. “LAPHAS SEED!” 

Lina couldn’t get away in time as Scarlet enveloped her in blue glowing ropes! Her arms were bound to her sides, and she couldn’t cast spells much less move! She had no way to defend herself now! Scarlet walked up to Lina, her footsteps loud and ominous. “Scarlet, wait, this doesn’t make sense…”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t trust anything you say!” Scarlet said, “Sherra told me you would use lies to manipulate me.”

Scarlet started to chant. Lina’s eyes widened as she recognized the spell. Rune Flare. Death was imminent. But she couldn’t move! She couldn’t even cast a spell to defend herself!

“RUNE…”

“LAPHAS SEED!” someone else from a distance called. And Lina relaxed as she recognized Amelia’s voice. They had found her note!

“What the…” Scarlet exclaimed as she was encased in her own binding ropes.

Lina breathed a sigh of relief as within seconds Gourry was beside her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, “Lina, are you okay?” he asked, his voice frantic.

“Fine.” Lina said, though the truth was, she was still a little shaken. She watched as Zel and Amelia caught up to Scarlet, who was turning bright red as she found herself just as trapped as she had made Lina.

Gourry relaxed and looked her over, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Lina did her best to smile as though she just hadn’t had a near brush with death, “I’m fine! In about an hour this spell will wear off and I’ll be back to my usual self.”

His blue eyes suddenly hardened, “Then what the hell were you thinking? Going off on your own knowing that Dynamite or Dyson or whoever wants to kill you?”

“And knowing that you were going in to a trap!” Amelia added from where she was beside Scarlet.

Lina gave a small smile. She knew they would be mad. “Look, the only way I was going to get the information I needed was by going with Scarlet. I wasn’t going to get her to drop her guard any other way.”

“But after what your sister said about staying with your allies…”

“I left you a note.” Lina said dismissively. “You found it.”

“In the nick of time!” Gourry said, “Tell us, if we had been one minute later would you still be here?”

Lina did her best to look as cute as possible as she smiled, “Hey, it’s not like I can see the future or anything. How am I to say what could or could not have happened?”

Gourry’s eyes flashed as Amelia stomped her foot, “Oh Miss Lina!”

Gourry hands bunched into fists, “Have you ever thought about how I would feel if you died? And how much worse I would feel if it happened because I wasn’t there to do everything I could to prevent it? Every day I worry that something will happen to you with all the monsters and demons and bandits and other scum we fight day in and day out. But on top of that I have to worry about you wandering off and getting in over your head like tonight and it just…it’s just too much sometimes.”

He looked at the ground, and Lina felt the urge to put her hand on his arm. But she couldn’t move. Literally. Amelia, Scarlet and Zelgadis were close enough that she could hear Amelia even as she whispered to Zelgadis, “May be we should give them some privacy.”

“Don’t pretend you’re not eating this up, Amelia.”

Lina bit her lip, “Gourry, look…”

“Lina, listen. You didn’t even tell me you were suspicious about Scarlet until we found and read that letter. You didn’t even try to find a way to figure out her motives with us around somehow. And I mean, you’re smart. Really smart. Smarter than anyone I know. If you’d set your mind to it you could have.”

Lina felt trapped. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t walk away and tell them she’d speak to them again when they would talk about something else. All she could do was stand there and listen to the hurt and fear they had felt as Amelia chimed in, “He’s right. You didn’t even try to include us.”

Lina looked down, “You’re right. Look, don’t think about it too much, okay? You know I’m reckless and impulsive. I just suddenly put everything together and saw an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I didn’t deliberately set about to leave you out. And I did get the information I needed and it turned out alright, so let’s move forward. It’s not like I can turn around and undo this, so I’ll keep it in mind for next time. Deal?”

Gourry still looked displeased as Amelia glanced at Scarlet. “Well, what did you find out?”

Lina’s stomach bundled into nerves. What would her friends think when they heard Scarlet’s accusation? Scarlet, however, wasted no time in stealing the scene, “She has a seventh of Shabranigdo within her soul!”

“What!” Zel and Amelia exclaimed.

“No way!” Gourry said.

“Sherra said you wouldn’t believe me. But you have to!” Scarlet said, looking like a cornered animal, “Dynast and Greater Beast want to resurrect the Dark Lord using her. Distasteful though it may be, the only way to stop them is by killing her.”

“I know Miss Lina isn’t exactly the purest of heroes…” Amelia began.

“Amelia!” Lina snapped.

“But there’s no way that she’s houses a seventh of Shabranigdo.” Amelia said.

“You would just have a hard time believing that you could have traveled and worked with someone who carries the Dark Lord in her soul for so long!” Scarlet said, “I know this is hard, but we can’t risk letting her live. Think about it! She must have sensed that I was about to reveal her! That’s why she didn’t want you to tag along.”

“But you forget that I’m also a highly trained priestess!” Amelia shot back, “I would have noticed!”

“This isn’t something that even highly trained priestesses notice!” Scarlet maintained, “Don’t you realized that Hellmaster and Dynast have been searching for these humans for millennia? If it was easy as finding a highly trained priestess and…”

“Then how can you be so sure that Lina carries a piece of Shabranigdo in her?” Zelgadis asked.

“Sherra told me. And Sherra is never wrong.” Scarlet said.

“Sherra?” Zelgadis asked.

“She’s a wise woman who lives on the outskirts of my village.”

“And you’re quite sure her intentions are good?”

“She’s certainly never destroyed an innocent village, or hundreds.” Scarlet said, “Look at Lina! Foul tempered! Destructive! All of you have borne the brunt of her rage! Look at her red, ruby eyes! Tell me it’s not a coincidence!”

“Even if it’s true, so what?” Gourry asked, and Lina felt a flame of hope light within her. “She’s destroyed part of Shabranigdo and then took down his ghost. You heard what Xellos said about her being known as the monster killer. Even if she has a piece of him within her, she fights on the right team. The world wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her.”

“That’s right!” Amelia said.

Scarlet shook her head, “You are right. However, things have changed now. Dynast and Greater Beast both know she is a vessel for their master. And they are going to do everything they can to use her to revive him. I don’t like it, but what’s best for the world is to kill her, and then his soul will be lost among the masses yet again.”

Gourry put a hand on Lina’s head and ruffled her hair. She felt her anxiety peak as Amelia looked worried while Zelgadis’s face remained stony with no indication of what he was thinking. “What are you wanting to do, Lina?” Gourry asked.

Lina exhaled, “I want to live. Because I’m not convinced about this me being a vessel for Shabranigdo business! Because there’s a lot about this that doesn’t make sense!”

Gourry’s hand moved from the top of her head to gently rest on her shoulder. “That’s good enough for me.”

Scarlets hands bunched into fists as she tried fight the spell containing her but couldn’t, “You’re just letting your love for her blind you to what is best for the world!”

Lina looked at her in alarm as Gourry squeezed her shoulder, “Am I? Well, she did the same for me once and it turned out fine. I think that the least I can do is return the favor.”

Lina felt herself grow warm as Amelia sighed. “How did you even remember that?” Lina asked incredulously.

Gourry shrugged, “Learning that a woman cast a spell powerful enough to destroy the world to save your life isn’t something that someone even with a memory even as bad as mine would forget!”

“Ohh!” Scarlet huffed, “I knew there was no way you’d turn against her. But Zelgadis. You’ve been rather quite. Come now. Surely you must see the folly in this.”

Lina felt anxiety seize her again as Zelgadis regarded her, his face as impassive as ever. “I think Lina has a good point about there being a lot that doesn’t make sense. And I for one am not going to kill a friend and comrade on the basis of the word of someone I’ve never met.”

Amelia smiled, “That’s right!”

“Because besides all that, if Dynast wanted Lina because she houses Shabranigdo, then why was he trying so hard to kill her yesterday?”

“Exactly.” Lina said as Zelgadis voiced one of her concerns.

“I don’t know! I’m not privy to the way a monster’s mind works!”

“But there’s another thing that’s troubling me.” Lina said. “Sherra, such a funny name. And I don’t know if you knew, but one of the names of the monsters we fought yesterday was Grau. Sherra and Grau. Grau and Sherra.”

Amelia gasped as Gourry looked at everyone confused while Scarlet’s eyes widened as Lina looked at her steadily, “Tell me, Scarlet, what’s Dynast’s full name?”

“Oh you can’t be serious!” Scarlet said, “What sort of monster lord would do that?”

“Um, Lina…” Gourry started.

“Dynast Grausherra, one of the five mazoku lords.” Lina said, “And like most of them, he divided his power between his priest and his general. And, perhaps I’m going out on a limb here, but might he have split his name between the two of them as well?”

“No, it can’t be!” Scarlet protested, “There’s no way that Sherra is one of them! It’s just a coincidence!”

“I’m not convinced.” Lina said, “Where is this Sherra?”

“Right here.” A new voice said, and a woman dressed in a blue military uniform with blue hair kept in a simple plait appeared. On her hip she wore an ominous looking black sword, and on her face she wore an enigmatic smile. “I am Sherra.” She giggled a little as she regarded Scarlet. “I don’t believe I ever told you my full name. And as it looks as though my ruse has been blown, well, it’s high time you learned it. It’s Sherra, General of Dynast.”


	12. Let's See! The Quickest Way to Defeat a Monster Is...

Lina felt a jolt of fear pulse through her. She was still trapped by Scarlet’s spell! How long had they been talking? Certainly nowhere near an hour. Gourry was instantly between her and Sherra, his sword raised as Zelgadis and Amelia assumed a stance for casting spells.

Scarlet, meanwhile, looked as though she was going to faint. “It can’t be. Sherra…”

“I can’t say I’m that disappointed.” Sherra said, “Your chances of killing Lina were small. Still, I thought you would have given it a bit more effort. It would have saved me a bit of trouble.”

Lina’s mind raced. The cards were not in their favor. She was their strongest fighter, and for the moment, she was out of commission. Worse, Gourry, Zelgadis and Amelia would have to both attack Sherra while defending her and Scarlet. To say they were at a tactical disadvantage was a great understatement.

But perhaps she could buy some time?

“Let me get this straight.” Lina said, “So you hooked Scarlet in with this song and dance about me having a bit of Shanbranigo in my soul so she would kill me for you, that way you could go ahead with your plan to resurrect Shabranigdo and destroy the world without having to worry about me stopping you.”

Sherra nodded, “More or less.”

“Wow, how unoriginal.” Lina said. “Just like your name.”

Sherra reddened, “What do you mean? My name means something wonderful!”

“Which is what exactly?” Lina said, “Because to me it sounds as though…”

“How dare you!” Sherra yelled, “How dare you even presume to think that you can divine Dynast Grausherra’s mind!”

“Okay then, Sherra. What is this great thing that your name means?”

“Shut up, human!”

“Well, I’m hearing a lot of talk, Sherra.” Lina said, “So tell me, if your name is so great, why don’t you go ask Dynast right now what it means and settle this once and for all?”

“I’ll show you!” Sherra said as she disappeared.

The five were quite for a moment before Amelia timidly asked, “Is she gone?”

“Wow,” Lina said, “I guess I hit a sore spot. I’m surprised that worked actually.”

“Now’s not the time to let our guard down.” Gourry said as he continued to stare fixedly ahead of them. And then Lina felt it.

_Crap!_

Grau and Argazi suddenly materialized before them. Along with several others monsters. Argazi laughed deviously, "Xellos popping up surprised us earlier, but this time we will not back down so easily! Now, foolish humans, prepare to die!"

"Gee, couldn't he think of something more original to say?" Lina asked even as her stomach knotted. She tried to move her arms, but the magical ropes held firm. She was trapped! How could she have been so stupid?

Gourry jumped, raising his sword and hollering a battle cry as he attacked Grau. "RA TILT!" Amelia and Zelgadis yelled, Amelia aiming at one of the unidentified monsters who looked like a rather large turnip with a sunburn, Zelgadis aiming at the other unidentified monster who looked like a golem with a few…adaptations.

Just at the moment when all of their blows were about to hit, however, dozens of winged creatures that Argazi had summoned earlier appeared before the monsters to take the blow. Gourry's sword cleaved one in two and this time it remained dead. Gourry continued fighting with the winged creatures, not knowing about the immortality pledge they had with Argazi while Amelia and Zelgadis did a double take. Argazi screamed, "My creatures!"

"Looks like the Blast Sword is strong enough to counteract Argazi's power." Zelgadis whispered to Amelia. "I'll say," she replied.

Lina bit her lip nervously as the others fought, hating how useless she felt. “What a gift wrapped opportunity!” Grau said as he moved towards her and hurled a spell at her direction.

Gourry cleaved it in two and then somehow managed to pivot to attack another winged creature as it flew at him. But another attacked from behind, clipping Lina’s head, throwing her face forward on the ground. She landed harshly, unable to use her arms even to cushion the blow!

“Lina?” Gourry asked.

“I’m fine!” she said, her voice muffled by the ground. It wasn’t the complete truth. Lina could feel her blood running from a cut on her head onto the grass. With a tremendous effort she forced her head up so she could watch and get some sense for what was happening!

Grau appeared behind her and was about to attack again as a hoard of winged creatures descended on Gourry to distract him when Amelia got between him and Lina and threw a shield between them. Grau disappeared again and when he materialized he was in front of Scarlet. Amelia ran to get between them as a ball of energy formed in Grau’s hands. Amelia leapt, creating a shield as she did, and then found herself forced back by the blast and onto the ground. 

“Amelia!” Zelgadis cried from where he was battling his own hoard of winged creatures.

“I’m fine!” she said as she stood up and ran to place another shield in front of Lina as Grau reappeared again. “Miss Scarlet?”

But there was no answer. Amelia risked looking in her direction and found that she had not been completely successful in protecting her from the blast! She lay on the ground, covered in burns. “How long do you think you can keep this up?” Grau asked as he disappeared again.

“Zel, cover Scarlet!” Lina yelled, “Amelia, cover me. Gourry, you’re the only one who can destroy those creatures, so have at it!”

“Right!” the others acknowledged.

Zelgadis pulled back closer to Scarlet while Amelia stayed close to Lina as Gourry continued to fight the winged creatures.

“Don’t forget us!” Argazi said as he materialized in front of Gourry while two other monsters appeared in front of Zel and Amelia. Lina felt the sweat pool on the back of her neck. This was bad! Even if she was free and able to use her powers this would be bad, but now, it was even worse!

_And dammit, why hadn’t the others dragged Xellos here with them?_

Gurry swiped at Argazi, who teleported just out of reach. Meanwhile, Zelgadis targeted the monster before him with a Ra Tilt, while Amelia lobbed one of her own, only to groan in frustration as a winged creature appeared and blocked the spell before it could hit the monster.

“Remember!” Grau said, “Do not play and torment them! Finish them off as quickly as possible!”

Argazi had materialized behind Gourry. If he was hoping to catch the swordsman off guard, he had another thing coming. Gourry hadn't gotten to be as good of a swordsman as he was without excellent instincts. Gourry pivoted and he bore his sword up to cleave Argazi in two, only to be met with another winged creature. Suddenly there were many creatures descending on him at once, and even someone as good with a sword as he could not protect himself from all sides. The blinding flash of light was the first warning he had that Argazi had attacked him before he was thrown to the ground.

“Gourry!” Lina cried as she struggled yet again against the spell. But she couldn’t move! And Gourry was lying limply on the ground. If anything happened to him…

Amelia and Zelgadis moved to stand back to back. Rather than the other two monsters appearing, however, they were soon swarmed with dozens of the winged creatures. "ASTRAL VINE!" Zelgadis called as he drew his own sword. May be it would have enough power to kill these creatures like Gourry's had. Unfortunately, that was not that case. "ASTRAL BREAK!" Amelia called. This one had similar success, or rather, lack of it. So immersed they were with fighting the creatures that they barely noticed when the other two monsters appeared. 

Lina struggled and fought against the spell confining her. And finally, finally she felt the magical ropes start to give a little. Was the spell starting to fade? She grunted and strained even harder against them, but it wasn’t enough to free herself? Gourry stirred. He was alive at least! But for all she knew he had been mortally wounded! And at the moment, there was nothing she could do!

And then from behind her a cold voice said, “There’s no one to come to your aide this time.”

Meanwhile, Amelia and Zelgadis were getting extremely frustrated fighting the endless horde of flying creatures as well as the monsters they protected. Amelia sent a fireball hurling towards a creature protecting one of the monsters followed by a rapid "RA TILT!" but to no avail. There was always another creature to take a fallen one's place, and the stupid fallen ones wouldn't stay fallen. Amelia screamed then, "Those who hide behind others rather than face their enemies are those whom I call evil and cowardly!"

"She's right!" Zelgadis said, "Why not come out and fight us human to monster, or are you too scared of us little humans?"

One of the monsters, the one who resembled a turnip, chuckled, "Those who tread the murky waters of life without caution are those who I call foolish. Hoogfu and I are merely testing your powers, for now at least."

Amelia grinded her teeth together and shouted, "VISFARANK!" Magical energy concentrated in her hands, and one by one she plowed her way through the creatures until she reached Hoogfu, "RA TILT!" Hoogfu shifted dimensions at that moment. Amelia jumped up and down, "Oh, why won't they just die?"

"You honestly don't expect monsters to be cooperative, do you Amelia?" Zelgadis asked over his shoulder as he cut down the creatures with his sword.

"That reminds me," Amelia said, "Where's Xellos? I thought he was on our side this time."

"If there's one thing you should know by now, Amelia, it's never to depend on a monster."

* * *

Things were fuzzy. _This isn't good._ Painfully, Gourry got up to his feet. A horrible sound was ringing in his ears. It took him awhile to register the sound as laughter. Argazi. Argazi was laughing. Spasms shook the swordsman, and he started coughing. He put his hand to his mouth. It came back bloody. _This isn't good._ He swayed, and thought he was going to fall over for a moment, but regained his balance. He put his free hand on his sword, clenching it tightly. "Still standing, swordsman?" Argazi asked. "I'm rather impressed. I think that any other human would have been killed after a blast like that."

"Luckily for me I'm not any other human than," Gourry said.

"For you, yes. For me, an annoyance. You and your friends are harder to kill than a cockroach. In fact, you're even worse! But today, however, your luck will run out. Take your friend over there, the one called Lina Inverse. I think Grau finally has her right where he wants her."

Gourry looked to where Argazi pointed and his eyes widened. Lina was lying on the ground unnaturally still, Grau hovering over her, "Lina…" he whispered, "Lina, no!" he said, charging at Argazi, his sword shining in the light, and cutting down the creatures that got in his way easily. He brought his sword up high above Argazi, intending to slash him in two and make a run for Lina when Argazi shifted dimensions. Gourry fell hard to the ground, pain coursing through him again as the adrenaline rush died. Horrible laughter sounded from someplace far away, and instinctively Gourry turned around and brought his sword up between himself and another burst of energy. His blade cut the spell in two, but the spell was so powerful that the heat still singed him. Argazi hovered over him, laughing maniactically. _He must think I'm dead_ , Gourry thought. With his last reserves of strength, Gourry jumped up, sounding a battle cry as he sliced Argazi in two. "No!" Argazi screamed, and then he faded into white sand, and was gone for good.

Gourry fell back to the ground hard. Everything hurt and there was a red throbbing in his head and eyes. Still, Lina needed him. He had to get to Lina, he had to…

"Now, Lina Inverse, prepare to die!" Grau said as he readied a burst of energy.

Lina looked up then, a dangerous gleam in her eyes as the spell containing her finally died. She unsheathed her sword with her good arm and jumped up and jabbed it into Grau's body, chanting, "May all the fools who stand before me be destroyed by the power you and I possess! DRAGON SLAVE! Yeah! Yeah! Dodge this then!"

Grau screamed as the deadly power flooded through him. Never would he have guessed that the whole time she was down she was chanting Ruby Eye's spell. "You little witch!" he yelled as he was consumed by the power. Lina smiled a deadly smile, "It’s your own fault for underestimating me. Someday, may be, you monsters will learn never to underestimate Lina Inverse, but until that day, I'll keep right on beating you."

Grau screamed one last time and was then gone. Lina sank back on the ground and wondered if that would be enough to destroy him. But at least she hadn’t depleted herself using the Ragna Blade. She had no idea how her friends were doing or how many monsters were left, but her first concern was the figure out if Gourry was okay. “Gourry!” she called as she turned to looked where she had last seen him, and then her heart leapt into her throat as she saw him lying on the ground, looking even more beat up than when she had seen him last.

* * *

"FIREBALL!" Zelgadis yelled. Sure enough, he hit one of those hated creatures, only this time when it hit the ground, it stayed on the ground.

"FLARE ARROW!" Amelia yelled. Another one fell to the ground and didn't return.

Hope coursed through the two of them. "Could it be?" Amelia asked.

"Someone must have taken out Argazi!" Zelgadis said.

"Let's take them out then, Mr. Zelgadis, BURST ROND!"

"FLARE ARROW!"

“Dammit!” Hoogfu shouted, and then he and the other monster disappeared. Zelgadis and Amelia looked at each other in confusion. But before they could say anything, the winged creatures swarmed together in a dark, ominous mass and flew towards them. Neither Zelgadis nor Amelia could see an inch in front of their faces as they tried to fend them off. Zelgadis did his best using his sword to keep them off him and Amelia while she chanted, but there were so many of them! But then Amelia cried, “HOLY BLESS!”

The white energy pulsed away from her, destroying the creatures as it hit them. Zelgadis and Amelia breathed a sigh of relief. The dratted creatures were finally gone. And so were the monsters. "Why…why did they leave?" Amelia asked. She wanted to think it was a good thing, but considering the fact that Holy Bless wiped out her bucket magic capacity and would leave her unable to perform powerful spells until she rested, she couldn’t afford to let her guard down.

"I can't say that I see a monster putting complete dependence on a creature to defend it." Zelgadis said.

"May be they got scared."

"Perhaps. Argazi must be dead for those creatures to have died, and I don't see Grau. May be with their stronger players gone they decided to leave. We’d better check on the others." Zelgadis’ eyes widened as he turned to check on his friends and realized that it wasn’t just Scarlet who was lying unresponsive on the ground, but Gourry as well, and that Lina was frantically running towards him, "Amelia, quick, that way!"

"What?" Amelia asked, and then let out a gasp herself as she saw her friends, "It...can't be. Mr. Gourry!"

Zelgadis and Amelia took off, hoping against hope that they just might be able to do something.

Lina got to him first, "Gourry, Gourry no…" she said as she sat beside him, "Amelia! He needs Resurrection!" she said as she placed her hands over a wound on his stomach to stop the flow of blood, shaking her head all the while. There was too much blood, the wounds too extensive. Recovery drew energy from the very person you were trying to heal, and right now it did not look as though Gourry would have enough energy to survive this. "Amelia!" she yelled. Amelia was much stronger in white magic than Lina, certainly Amelia could perform the Resurrection spell. Amelia had to be able to perform it, she had to…"Amelia, get over here now!"

"Lina," Gourry said, softly, reaching his hand up to touch her cheek.

"Don't talk, Gourry," Lina said, fighting back tears and trying to project a voice filled with her usual confidence, "It's going to be alright, okay? Just hang on."

"Lina," he said again, "I'm glad you're alright."

His hand slide from her cheek. "Gourry?" Lina asked, her voice breaking, "Gourry, no!" she yelled.

Amelia and Zelgadis got there then, and as soon as they did Lina turned to them, "Amelia, Resurrection."

Amelia lowered her head, hating herself for taking a quick out with the Holy Bless. Why had she done it? She knew that Scarlet was badly wounded. It had been so thoughtless of her! "I…I can't. I’m sorry Miss Lina. I wiped out my capacity destroying the winged creatures. I should have thought ahead, planned better..."

Lina looked at her friend in shock for a minute and then turned back to Gourry, "You've got to try, Amelia." She said. She tried to fight them back but tears streamed down her face anyways. Zelgadis knelt down beside Gourry, "If you have any ideas on how to work the Jewel of Rajah, Amelia, now's your chance to try them."

Amelia reached into her pocket and pulled the Jewel of Rajah out. “Watch out!” Zelgadis suddenly called as he turned in the nick of time and brought a shield up to cover the group as a burst of energy collided with the shield. A woman was laughing coldly, joined by a man, and Lina felt her stomach twist as Sherra appeared with an unfortunately living Grau. 

Lina grimaced. _Looks like a Dragon Slave wasn’t enough to kill him!_ “Nice try, Lina Inverse.” Grau said, “But this time, you’re finally going down.”

Lina stood up stoically, "Take care of Gourry." She said to Amelia and Zelgadis. "I'll handle this."


	13. Monster's Fall! Isn't It Lovely When They Go Boom?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! Half way there! I might or might not take a mid-point break depending on how things go. Till then, enjoy!

Despite her confident words and pose, Lina was nervous. Her best weapon to defeat Grau and Sherra would be the Ragna Blade. And while she had gotten better at using it so it didn’t cripple her, she was still doubtful she could get both of them. But then, what if she didn’t have to use it? Lina looked down at Gourry, his sword by his side, “Zel,” she said quietly, “Grab the Blast Sword.”

Zelgadis nodded and said as he knelt down to grab it, “Sorry Gourry. I’ll get this back to you as soon as I can.”

Sherra wasted no time in grabbing Dulgofa and swinging it at them, creating an ominous black shockwave and hurling it towards Lina and Zelgadis. Lina dodged, while Zelgadis held the Blast Sword in front of him, parting the shockwave and diverting it around him. But while Zelgadis was holding the sword, he was also chanting, “ELMEKIA LANCE!”

Sherra didn’t even bother to let the spell hit her. With a casual flick of her wrist she killed it. But Zelgadis had diverted her just enough for Lina to get behind her and finish her spell, “ZELAS BRID!”

While Sherra did cry out in surprise when it hit her, it didn’t seem to inflict much damage. No, as Sherra turned to glare at Lina it seemed all she had done was piss her off a little. Then Grau decided it was time to remind the group he was there as he stepped in to hurl a beam of energy at Lina! Zelgadis barely got in front of him in time to cut the spell with the Blast Sword. Then from the other side Sherra used Dulgofa to unleash another shockwave at them. Zelgadis barely managed to get there in time to deflect it! But then Lina cried out, “Amelia! Behind you!”

While Lina and Zelgadis had their hands full with Sherra, Grau was readying a ball of magical energy to hurl at Amelia as she tended to the wounded!

Amelia barely managed to turn in time to put up a shield. Lina gritted her teeth, “Looks like they’re going to play dirty even for monsters! Zel, protect them from Grau. I’ll take Sherra down.”

“Right.” Zelgadis said as he ran towards Amelia and the wounded. He raised the Blast Sword high as he approached Grau, but the blasted monster disappeared as soon as Zelgadis brought it down to cleave him. Zelgadis reached Amelia. “You okay?”

“Fine. But I haven’t had a lot of luck with the Jewel of Rajah.” She said as she returned to Gourry’s side while Zelgadis stood in a defensive posture in front of her. 

Amelia tried yet again to switch from using shamanist spirit magic to white magic without breaking the flow without success. In front of her, Gourry lay stretched out, unbearably still. Beside him Scarlet lay covered in burns, but her breathing was steady and even. Amelia felt the bloodlust from Grau rise again and she turned around to confirm that yes, Zelgadis felt it too. Another ball of energy was hurled at them, and Zelgadis cut it down, barely pausing in his chanting as he did. Amelia recognized the Ra Tilt. Grau appeared again, and Zelgadis wasted no time in casting the spell. Unfortunately, he was not fast enough, and Grau vanished right when the brilliant blue pillar erupted. Amelia thought sadly that it was too bad Zelgadis hadn’t been fast enough. Surely it would have been strong enough. Zelgadis was able to cast such a solid, strong Ra Tilt after all.

Suddenly an idea came to her, "Mr. Zelgadis, you're stronger in the shamanist magics than I am. May be the jewel needs more shamanist magical energy than I can provide. Why don't you try focusing the shamanist energy, and then I'll add the white magic power?"

“Now!?” Zelgadis asked as he defended against another attack.

“I don’t think Mr. Gourry is going to make it much longer!” Amelia said as she noted how uneven the swordsman’s breathing was.

Zelgadis’s eyes set as Grau prepared another batch of energy to hurl at them. Surely, what with the beating he had taken from Lina, he couldn’t have had much strength left. Zelgadis started chanting as he prepared to cut the spell down. When he did, Zelgadis grabbed on to one of his throwing swords and released a shadow snap. Now Grau couldn’t get away!

“What!” Grau cried and Zelgadis started chanting quickly, “RA TILT!”

A pillar of blue light circled Grau, and Zelgadis ran as fast as he could towards him, bearing the Blast Sword down upon him. “No! Grau screamed as he turned dissolved into white sand. Zelgadis breathed a sigh of relief. Then he returned to Amelia and knelt beside her.

He took just a moment to see that Lina was still keeping Sherra busy (or rather, that Sherra was keeping Lina busy), before he felt secure enough to let his guard down to attempt to heal Gourry. "How do I do this, Amelia?" he asked.

"Like this," she said as she placed the jewel in his hands, "Now chant a spirit spell."

* * *

Lina dodged another beam of energy, only to scramble to avoid another one as Sherra materialized from a different location. Lina cursed her own foolishness as she muttered various obscenities under her breath as she cursed every stupid decision she had made earlier in the night that had led to this current situation. If she had just been more careful, if she had just gotten her friends in on her plot to figure out Scarlet’s plan, if she had just heeded her sister’s warning…

If she had just listened when Luna had told her that her feelings were a source of strength. Suddenly she realized that all of this time she’d felt she’d had to hide how she felt because an enemy could use her feelings against her like Hellmaster had. But then, Hellmaster was dead because he tried to use her feelings against her, and failed. When someone threatened someone Lina loved, she just worked that much harder and smarter to see that they were destroyed. 

If she hadn’t loved Gourry, she never would have been able to defeat Hellmaster. The realization that her feelings were a strength now seemed so obvious that she wondered why it had taken her so long to appreciate it. Because she wasn’t going to hide it anymore. She was going to be open. And surely Gourry would pull through, surely Amelia had something up her sleeve. They would be together, and stronger!

Another beam of energy headed right towards her disrupted her thoughts, "FREEZE ARROW!" she cried, deflecting it. A swish of air and the feeling that there was something there that wasn't there before alerted Lina to the fact that someone had teleported behind her. But who? Sherra was still in front of her! She glanced over her shoulder to find that Hoogfu and the third monster had returned to the fight. She groaned. She knew all spells but two would be useless against these monsters. One, the Giga Slave, she simply could not use under any circumstances save the most grave where the world was damned either way. The other, the Ragna Blade, would allow her to take out one, but would leave her too drained to take out the other, leaving him to do whatever he wanted to her friends. Lina had to keep them all distracted long enough for Gourry to recover, she had to…

"FIREBALL!" she shouted as she turned to face the monster. Hoogfu laughed as he absorbed the spell easily, raising his arms for a spell of his own. Lina dodged, only to realize to her horror that Sherra had hurled another shockwave at her. For a terrifying moment Lina realized that they had trapped her. There was no way she could dodge Hoogfu's attack without spiraling into Sherra's and vice versa. 

"DIEM WIND!" Lina cried and a gust of wind blew Hoogfu's spell out of her way, allowing her to roll on the ground to a kneeling position on one knee with her usual finesse, "Think you can pull one over on me that easily?" Lina asked, "Well you've got another thing coming! ZELAS BRID!" she called, and the whip of energy appeared in her hands. She screamed as she slung it around to hit Hoogfu, the other monster and then Sherra, not really hurting them at all but effectively keeping them distracted for just a few more precious seconds. Lina stole a glance at the group to see how they were doing and frowned. Gourry was still down, and Zelgadis had dropped his guard to join Amelia. Not good. Reluctantly, she returned her gaze to the monsters.

"You put up an admirable fight, Lina Inverse," Sherra said, "But I'm afraid that Hoogfu, Jipon and I are through with playing with you. Now, Lina Inverse, prepare to die!"

Lina chuckled to herself, "You think I haven’t heard that before, Sherra? My, you are as unoriginal as your name."

Sherra growled. Lina smiled, “So, what did you find out from Dynast? What is this wonderful thing your name means?”

Sherra glowed red as the bloodlust around her intensified. “I don’t want to hear any flak about my name from a pathetic human!”

For once, Lina shut her mouth as the bloodlust emanating from Sherra became oppressive. _Looks like I really hit a nerve. Oops!_

* * *

Zelgadis started chanting the Ra Tilt, and sure enough the Jewel of Rajah began to glow blue with magical energy. Amelia placed her own hands on the jewel and chanted a healing spell, worried that, drained as she was, it wouldn’t be enough. But the jewel's glow changed from blue to white, and both Amelia and Zelgadis cried out as the light shot forth from the jewel to Gourry, enveloping him. The flow of blood stopped as his wounds healed. His chest heaved as he drew in a deep, steady breath, and his skin changed to a healthier complexion. His sapphire eyes blinked open in surprise, "What…what happened?" he asked

Zelgadis and Amelia slumped forward in exhaustion and relief. "I guess it needed two people to work the Jewel of Rajah," Amelia said, "One to power the spirit energy and another to power the white magic."

Zelgadis smiled, "Good work, Amelia."

Amelia beamed at the praise, and then Gourry cried out, “Lina!”

He shot up to his feet. Lina was battling not one, but three monsters! “Gourry, wait!” Zelgadis cried.

“I don’t care if I’m not rested yet!” he said as he grabbed his sword, only to find it missing. “What, wait, where’s my sword?”

“That’s what I was wanting to give you.” Zelgadis said as he handed him the Blast Sword. “We’re going to heal Scarlet, then we’ll be there to help.”

Gourry took the sword, nodded, and ran off to help Lina. He got to Jipon first, raised his weapon, and bisected the monster, who had been so busy trying to target Lina he hadn’t even realized the swordsman was back in the fight! Gourry smiled as he considered how powerful this new sword was. The Sword of Light wouldn’t have been able to take Jipon out so effortlessly. One down, two to go.

* * *

Lina put a shield up, and suddenly Hoogfu was gone. She dropped out of the shield, only to hear the dreaded sound of the dimension opening beside her. She turned, readying another shield, putting it up just in time for the bombardment before her when she heard a dimension opening behind her. "RAY WING!" she called, letting the wind encircle her, disrupting the barrage from in front of her and behind her before flying up above the monsters.

The monsters retreated to another dimension again and Lina discontinued the spell. Being above ground gave them one more plane of attack to strike from, and this was getting tedious enough as it. Sure enough, she heard the dimensions shift. One from in front of her this time, and the other from behind her simultaneously. Hoogfu, who materialized in front of her, grabbed her. "FIREBALL!" Lina said, hoping to get him to release his grip. Sherra hit her from behind, and Hoogfu let her slide to his feet. Hoogfu raised his hands for the killing blow when suddenly Gourry cut him down with his sword.

Sherra appeared before him, Dulgofa raised. “Gourry!” Lina cried, “You’re all right!”

He smiled at her, “Let’s do this!” he said as he parried Dulgofa with the Blast Sword, cleaving it in two with nary an effort.

“WHAT!?” Sherra shrieked as she looked at Dulgofa, now cleaved in two separate parts, “But how?”

“Looks like you missed the memo. I have the Blast Sword now.” Gourry said as he continued a defensive position in front of Lina, who suddenly darted from behind him. 

"…Power that can smash even the souls of the Gods, RAGNA BLADE!" Lina yelled as she jumped up, revealing the crackling black lightning bolt that was her sword of darkness.

“No!” Sherra cried as Lina was about to bring it down upon her when suddenly a gust of wind blew from Sherra’s direction, holding Lina in place.

“Now, now, Sherra. This is why Greater Beast and I warned you not to attack until the right time.” Xellos said.

Lina saw red as she let the spell die. “XELLOS!” she screamed, “I just about had her!”

“I know!” Xellos said, “Unfortunately, our goals do not align in this case, Lina. You want her dead, I want her alive, even if she has been foolhardy and reckless.”

“We had a good opening! Nothing will ever be accomplished so long as you let yourself be cowed into caution by a human!” Sherra spat, red faced and humiliated.

“A human you were about to be killed by.” Xellos pointed out as Zelgadis, Amelia and Scarlet joined the group.

“Now that you’re here, we can change that.” Sherra said.

Lina grew nervous as she watched Xellos. Someday she feared she would have a showdown with him. But she wanted to make sure that day was as far into the future as possible. “You know I can’t go against Greater Beast like that, Sherra. Like it or not, we will just have to stick with the plan. And wait. Unless you really want to go the way that Grau did.”

Sherra turned new definitions of red, “Damn you all!” she spat as she disappeared.

Lina was caught between feeling relieved that, for now at least, it was over and everyone was okay and pissed that Sherra had gotten away. “Damn you, Xellos.” She didn’t say that she almost had another notch on her belt. That, of course, was why he intervened. “Looks like I’ll have to add Sherra’s name to my list another day.”

Xellos smiled. "Now Miss Lina, we aren’t getting overconfident are we?”

“What do you think?” Lina snapped, “And just where were you when we were fighting those monsters? I thought you were going to help us.”

"Now, now, Lina, I didn't help them in killing you now did I? Now really, if things had gotten too bad I would have had to slip in, but that was not the case."

"You call Gourry nearly getting killed not 'too bad?'" Lina spat, "Oh, I don't believe this. I don't know what to think anymore."

"My non-interference allowed Amelia to figure out how to activate the Jewel of Rajah, which is bound to come in handy later, will it not?"

"I guess, but…"

"And everyone is still alive, are they not?"

"Yes, well…"

"Then there's no harm done at all!" Xellos said. "And I believe the next destination is the Elmekian Empire."

"You're not coming with us." Lina said. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Xellos hadn’t intervened because he was hoping that Sherra would be able to kill her, and only when it was clear that she wouldn’t he stepped in to prevent further losses on their side.

"I have to agree." Zelgadis added. "Sherra would be one less problem for us to worry about if it wasn’t for you, and we all know you’re plotting something evil."

"Boo hoo, I'm afraid you have no choice in the matter." Xellos said, "But come now, we've traveled together before. It wasn't all that bad, now was it?"

The five exchanged looks of reluctance, but no matter what they did there was no way they could get rid of Xellos without a fight, and none felt like fighting right now. "Alright then," Lina said tiredly, "But just so you know, I’m keeping an eye on you!"

Lina took another moment to glare at Xellos, and then she turned to Gourry. “Are you okay?”

“Fine!” he said. “Whatever they did it worked great. I’m not even tired like I am after a healing spell.”

“Good.” Lina said, and then she walked up to him, grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him down to her so she could kiss him passionately.

Zelgadis turned away as he blushed and Amelia sighed and clasped her hands together while Scarlet folded her arms across her chest and looked amused. Xellos, meanwhile, was looking rather blue. When Lina pulled away, Gourry looked at her incredulously, “Lina?” he asked. “What was that?”

“A kiss you idiot.”

“But I thought…”

“I changed my mind.” She said, “I realized, all this time I thought love was a weakness to be exploited and that I had to hide it. But now I see, it’s a strength. I’m stronger when I embrace it. We’re stronger when we embrace it. So from now on, that’s what I’m going to do.”

Gourry wrapped an arm around her and beamed, “Well, you’ll have no complaints from me!”

“Just tone it down while I’m around, okay?” Xellos said.

“Nah.” Lina replied as she suddenly realized a new benefit of being open with Gourry, turning Xellos’ stomach. Lina grabbed Gourry’s hand and resisted the urge to whisper sweet nothings in his ear. There was other business to attend to. “Anyway, good work Amelia! How did you figure it out?”

“It was one of those things that was so simple, really. It just required two people to use it, not one. Mr. Zelgadis used shamanist magic while I used white magic. Things really do work out better when we work together!”

Lina clasped her on the back, “Good work!”

“Lina.” Scarlet said, and for once her voice had lost a lot of its pretentiousness.

“What?” she asked.

“For attacking you earlier, and everything else, I apologize.” She said.

Lina shifted uncomfortably. “Well, next time someone tells you to kill someone, get some independent corroboration that they truly are evil first, okay?”

“Goodness, I’ve been so foolish. Sherra pulled the wool over my eyes. I don’t know what to do anymore.” She said as she shook her head, “How can I make amends?”

Lina hesitated, and Scarlet jumped in, talking fast, “Look, I understand. You are probably having a hard time trusting me. I can’t blame you really, I mean, I really blew it. But look. I’ve been woken to Sherra’s treachery, but she still has my sister and my hometown under her sway. Trust me when I say I will do whatever it takes to bring Sherra down to save them!”

“What do you mean, has your sister and hometown in her sway?” Amelia asked.

“Sherra came in and saved my hometown from a demon attack. She promised us that if we followed her we would never be harmed by demons again, and she kept that promise. Looking back, I can see there was unscrupulous business going on, but to question Sherra was the ultimate betrayal.”

“It sounds like quite the cult.” Zelgadis commented.

Scarlet made a face, “God, how could I have been such a…a…”

“Sheep?” Gourry asked.

Scarlet blanched a little, and then nodded. Lina sighed, “Well, I’m not going to blindly put my trust in you. But if you’re serious about taking Sherra down, then you're welcome to come with us.”

Scarlet nodded in relief, “Thank you. And I will make it up to you."

Lina smiled a little, "Fine. Next stop, Kirva, in the Elmekian Empire!"


	14. Naughty! They Made a Shrine to Us!?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, after a break, and some complete R&R last week in San Diego where I didn't have to take care of even a cat much less kids or clients, I am on my writing streak again! And of course, we are at the point in the series where they have humor episodes barely related to the main plot. I did not trust myself to do these the first time I posted this, so these are untried stories. Hopefully they will amuse! If not, the main plot will resume in chapter 18. Enjoy!

Lina continued to stare at the map as the waitress poured Gourry a large glass of orange juice. But before anyone watching could accuse her of ignoring the platter of bacon set before her, though, her free hand darted out and grabbed a handful and shoved it into her mouth and chewed delightedly as she considered the map.

“If you ask me, we should probably stay in Akon tonight.” Amelia said between bites of pancake.

“Akon?” Lina asked as she swallowed her bacon, “But If I’m reading this correctly, we should get there way before the sun sets. And it doesn’t look as though Rios is so far away that we can’t get there by nightfall.”

“Yeah,” Amelia agreed, “But I’ve heard a lot of interesting things about Akon.”

“Interesting?” Zelgadis asked. “Like what?”

But before Amelia could answer, Gourry knocked over his glass of orange juice. “Gourry!” Lina screeched as she managed to constrain herself from ringing his neck, but only because she needed both hands to save the precious bacon from the orange flood headed its way. “Save the food!” Lina cried as Amelia moved the pancakes while Scarlet sipped her tea and shook her head and, along with Zelgadis, did her best to pretend she didn’t know them.

Once the waitress came by to mop up the juice Lina fumed, “Dammit, Gourry, you have been so clumsy lately!”

“I know.” Gourry said, “I’m not sure what’s gotten into me.”

“Jitters about going home, perhaps?” Zelgadis asked.

Gourry sent Zelgadis a look that was unusual in its hostility. Lina piped in, “You don’t have to go, I mean, we can meet up with you…”

“I’m going.” Gourry said, “It’ll be fine.”

“It’s more reason to stay in Akon for a night.” Amelia said, “You and Miss Lina can have a nice outing. See a play…”

“A play?” Lina repeated, “Gourry would fall asleep in five minutes! Think of the money we’d waste!”

“Hm, well I’m sure there’s a sports event or something.” Amelia said as she checked the guide book, “Oh look! They have brass rackets tournaments here!”

Lina looked at her out of the corner of her eye, “You’re being even pushier than usual.”

Amelia folded her arms across her chest, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Then Amelia smiled, “But I will buy you tickets to the brass rackets tournament.”

“Really!?” Lina exclaimed, “It’s a deal then!”

* * *

“Hey Lina, I thought that the brass rackets stadium was that way.” Gourry said.

“I know.” Lina said as she continued doggedly in the direction she was headed in. 

“Then why are we going this way?” he asked as she ducked into an alley where she had a good view of the inn they had checked in at.

“Because Amelia is up to something, and I want to find out what!” Lina said.

“Oh.” Gourry said as he deliberately kept his voice neutral.

“Keep back, and keep quiet.” Lina said as she craned her head to get a better view of the inn. Fortunately they didn’t have to wait long. Soon Amelia was leaving the inn. Apparently Zelgadis, Scarlet and Xellos couldn’t be bothered to come with her.

“There she is.” Lina said, “Remember, keep quiet!”

Gourry nodded as they took after Amelia, keeping just enough behind to ensure that they weren’t spotted, but to also make sure that they didn’t lose her. Eventually they saw Amelia run into a building, and they moved to get a better look. Lina frowned when she saw it, as Gourry looked on cluelessly as she read, “The Gourrina Shrine of Eternal Love and Justice?”

“What’s a Gourrina Shrine of Eternal Love and Justice?” Gourry asked.

Lina’s brows knitted together, “I have a very bad feeling about this.”

But her eyes set as she walked to the shrine and Gourry followed her. “Lina, look!” he said as he pointed at the door handles. The one on the left was sculpted into a stylized representation of Gourry, while the one on the right was a sculpted version of Lina, and between their hands they held a large heart. “Oh boy.” Lina said.

She put her hand on the handle and opened the door, and her eyes immediately fell on a large oversized painting of her and Gourry locked in a passionate embrace. “Um, Lina, why…”

“Oh, when we find Amelia, there will be some explaining.” Lina said as she cracked her knuckles while Gourry stared at the painting contemplatively.

“You have to admit, though, I look pretty good.”

“Don’t even!” Lina snapped as she took off down the hallway, which was adorned with more paintings of various quality and styles. Some were amazingly well done and life like, but the vastly different styles of drawing led Lina to the conclusion that the works of several different artists were being featured. Others looked like child doodles, and the only way Lina could tell who was supposed to be who was by the shock of red hair on one body, and the long blonde hair on the other. But what really perturbed Lina was that the further the hallway went, the steamier the pictures grew, evolving from tame pictures of them cuddling and having a picnic together, to passionate embraces, to one of Lina exploring the chest of a shirtless Gourry to…

“Hey!” Gourry said as he pointed at one painting in dismay, his hair standing on end, “Artists really shouldn’t be drawing that!”

"S-someone…” Lina stuttered as she turned beat red, “D-drew me naked! Oh that’s it, this shrine is going to fry!”

“But you gotta admit, they upped you a few cup sizes. You look pretty good.”

“They imagined and drew my naked chest!” Lina screamed as she wrapped her arms around herself. “This calls for severe punishment! And besides, they didn’t overemphasize my chest at all! And you know what’s scary? How accurate they got you down. You don’t think someone’s been peeping?”

“I would know if someone’s been following us!” Gourry cried indignantly, “And besides, that looks nothing like me.”

“You know what makes this even worse?” Lina said as her blush deepened, “Amelia’s seen this!”

“Wait, look here.” Gourry said as he pointed to the door, “The Library?”

“Oh, this is going to be bad.” Lina said as she charged through and found row upon row of shelves upon which cheaply bound paper manuscripts were stacked.

“It looks like they’re grouped by different authors.” Lina said as she picked up a work written by someone named Lady of Mystery and turned crimson as she yelled, “Why are people writing about my sex life!?”

“Let me see!” Gourry said as he moved beside her and looked at the manuscript, “Well, that’s…inventive.”

“You’re not…” Lina said.

"All I said was 'inventive.'"

“Gourry!”

"Whoa, the grammar on this one is making my headache!” Gourry said as he flipped through another work.

“It must be bad if you’re complaining about it!” Lina said as she glanced at it. “Wow, I didn’t know you could change tenses so many times. And in one sentence!”

“Now that is something I would never say!” Gourry said.

Lina looked at what he was pointing at and laughed, “And I would never go swooning into your arms if you did! Really! What kind of helpless damsel do they take me for! I’d be kicking your ass to the curb if you did that!”

Lina picked up another manuscript, “Wow, either a five year old wrote this, or someone needs to invest more in writing schools.”

“Hey, this one isn’t bad!” Gourry said.

“You’re actually enjoying reading a story someone wrote about our romantic lives?” Lina asked.

Gourry blushed, “Shh, I think I hear Amelia! This way.” 

Lina followed Gourry, and soon she could discern the sounds of Amelia’s voice echoing through the walls. As they got closer, Lina could actually make out what she was saying. 

“’Oh Gourry!’ Lina breathed through sultry parted lips, ‘It shouldn’t have taken you dying in such an unjust manner and being sent to the underworld, and fighting and killing that nasty, evil devil to return to me by the power of justice to make me realize how much I love you!’

“’Oh Lina!’ Gourry said as he stroked her cheek, ‘You don’t know how long I’ve waited to hear you say that!’

“Angels playing harps surrounded them, serenading them with a song about love and justice as their lips met, finally, these warriors of justice, acknowledging their love before the heavens!”

Amelia took a breath as Lina kicked open the door, and found that Amelia was standing before a podium in a room filled with more paintings and even some sculptures and, what’s more, people listening in rapt attendance. Some fifty of them.

“What is this?” Lina asked as Amelia jumped.

Amelia smiled nervously, “Oh look, everyone, it’s the real Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev!”

Lina wasn’t sure what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t for the room to explode in enthusiastic applause. Lina was used to being feared and insulted and run out of town by mobs furious that their homes had been destroyed. She wasn’t used to being surrounded by rapturous adoration.

One tall, broad shouldered woman ran forward and clasped Lina’s hand, “I am like your biggest fan! Ever since you cast that Giga Slave…”

“Wait a minute!” Another woman with dark hair said as she cut in, “I’m the biggest fan!”

“No, I am!” Another cut in.

“Tell me, when are you going to marry him?” the first woman asked again. “I mean, we really need to make this official, so we can shove it in the face of those at the Zelina Shrine.”

“The what?” Lina asked stupidly and feeling overwhelmed.

“People who think you’d be better off with Zelgadis.” One of the women explained.

“Zel!?” Lina asked, mystified. “Wait a minute, does this mean that there is a shrine filled with art and stories about me and Zel!?”

“We’ll help you burn it down!” One of the few men in the group said.

“Oh come now, it’s not the Zel Lina people who bother me. It’s the people who think Lina should be with Xellos. I mean, our heroine with an evil monster? The very idea!” the tall woman said.

Lina turned blue, “Me and Xellos? What? Why are people writing stories about me and my love life?”

“Oh, it’s not just you.” One of the woman said, “The people who think Gourry and Zelgadis should be together have a small shrine.”

“What!?” Gourry screamed in dismay, “But…but I’m straight! Very straight!”

“How long did it take you to get Lina?” Someone said. “People wondered.”

“And then there are the three ways. Lina, Zel, and Gourry!” someone added. “It has a small but ardent following.”

“I did not need to know that.” Lina buried her face in her hands as embarrassment coursed through her, “Amelia,” she asked dangerously, “Why are people building shrines devoted to my love life?”

“Oh, um, well.” Amelia said as she wiggled her foot nervously, “You see, in Seyruun I would often tell people about our exploits. Lectures halls full of them. And, I may have said a few things about how just and pure your love is. And, well, the people really loved it. I mean, they always wanted to hear more. So I started making up stories and, well, writing them, and other people started writing as well, and the stories started circulating outside of Seyruun. And they became very popular, and people built shrines. And I knew that Akon had a big one dedicated to your love, so I felt obligated to pay them a personal visit. I just finished telling them the story about how you two finally admitted your love for each other, and I was just reading the latest chapter in my 50 part story about how Mr. Gourry triumphs over death…”

Lina raised her hand, “I get the picture.”

But before Lina could say anything, Scarlet walked in looking winded, “So sorry I’m late, but I just finished a new sculpture and I couldn’t wait to show the group…Amelia? Lina?”

Scarlet turned uncharacteristically red as Lina’s draw dropped while Amelia smiled, “Oh! So you must be SorceressandSwordmanDevotee! I thought it was a strange coincidence that we were both here on the same night!”

Scarlet looked away as she took a deep breath, “Well, about that…LinaAndGourry4EverInJusticeFanGrrl…”

“Looks like our secret is out!”

Scarlet shook her head, “I don’t know how I shall ever live this down.”

“Just keep that blanket over that sculpture. We don’t want to see it.” Lina said as she wondered how she was going to face the group at breakfast.

“Yes we do!” the group shouted, and one of the fans pulled the blanket off.

Gourry blinked at it, and all Lina could think of was the statues of the ancient gods in interesting positions. But then, what would you expect from an archeologist? But then to their horror they heard footsteps down the hallway.

“There you are!” Zelgadis said as he was followed by Xellos, “I realized I was alone at the inn with him and wondered where everyone went.”

He scanned the scene and his eyes fell on the sculpture and he averted his eyes as he blushed, “I must say, I nearly turned around when I saw the deco.”

“Oh, I know!” the dark haired woman said, “We should take Zel and Amelia to the shrine celebrating their love!”

“Our what!?” Zelgadis asked as his voice raised several octaves while Amelia blushed crimson. “You mean, there’s a shrine like this one, but with me and Amelia?”

“Yes indeedy.” The woman said as she smiled.

“And works about us…being together?” Zelgadis said with a gulp.

“There sure is!”

“In an intimate manner!?”

“Oh, don’t worry Mr. Zelgadis.” Amelia babbled, “I mean, everyone gets paired with everyone else. Even you and Mr. Gourry have a shrine dedicate to your love…”

“Gourry and I have a shrine dedicated to our what!?” Zelgadis shrieked.

“But the shrine dedicated to your love with Xellos is way more popular.” A smaller woman said. “It’s actually my favorite.”’

Lina smothered her giggle behind her hand as Zelgadis turned purple. Xellos, meanwhile, put a gentle hand on Zelgadis’s shoulder as he whispered, “My darling…”

“Don’t you even!” Zelgadis shrieked as he jumped a mile. “I mean, what love between me and Xellos? I loath him!”

“Well, you know what they say about the boundary between love and hate…” she replied.

“Oh Zelgadis, let’s not fight it anymore!” Xellos said.

“Don’t you dare!” Zelgadis screamed, “Where is this shrine? I’m going to burn it to the ground!”

“In that case, I’ll never tell.”

“It’s three blocks down.” The man said, “Come on! Zel and Amelia rule! All unorthodox pairings must be destroyed.”

Zelgadis walked to the man and clasped his shoulder, “Will you join me in eradicating this shrine from the face of the earth?”

The man nodded. 

“No! Please!” the woman protested as a few other people got up to join Zelgadis.

“This way!” Zelgadis left with a small contingent of people while Xellos stared at the statue.

“I must say, Gourry, you are…”

“I don’t want to hear it.” Gourry said as he folded his arms across his chest. 

“But the detail to your chest…”

“Please, stop.” Scarlet said as she buried her face in her hands.

“I must say, Scarlet, with your eye for detail you didn’t get the six pack quite right.”

Lina lifted her sleeve and punched Xellos across his smug face, “We said shut up!”

“Do you really think that will work?” Scarlet said, “Oh, goodness, this is completely mortifying.”

“Just…how long has this been going on?”

“Do you really want to know?” Scarlet asked.

“I guess not.” Lina agreed.

“Lina, Gourry!” one of the fans said as she came up to them, holding a crudely drawn picture of them holding hands, “Could you sign this please? Both of you?”

“Um…” Lina stuttered as the girl’s eyes grew wide.

“You don’t like it?” she wailed.

“Here!” Gourry said as he grabbed a pen and signed it, “It’s very pretty!”

Lina looked at him in astonishment. “What?” he murmured to her, “I couldn’t let her go on crying like that!”

“You and your soft heart.” She said with a sigh as she signed it.

It was the wrong thing to do. Soon they were inundated with the requests from the creators to have their works signed. Some even asked for feedback. One of the writer’s even wanted to know extremely personal details such as smells, style, and underwear preference to make sure her work was as authentic as possible.

As they walked home in awkward silence, Lina sighed in frustration. “What?” Gourry asked.

“It’s just, dammit, we should have charged for our autographs! Five gold pieces a signature! Think of all the dough we could have raked in!”

“Lina!” he exclaimed in astonishment, “You’re thinking about a wasted business opportunity after finding that people are writing and illustrating our love life?”

Lina waved a hand dismissively, “They’re going to do it either way, even if we burned it down they’d be up bright and early the next morning to rebuild. We might as well profit from it.”

“But it doesn’t disturb you that people are thinking about…”

“Don’t.” Lina said. “Just think of the money. The pretty money. Ooo! If we get married I bet we could get them to foot the bill for a lavish ceremony!”

“Married?” Gourry asked as Lina blushed.

“Um, I got ahead of myself.”

Amelia sighed in ecstasy, and both turned around, “Can it!”

When they got to the inn, they found Zelgadis waiting at a table looking disgruntled, flanked by a chipper looking Xellos. “So, is the shrine destroyed?” Lina asked.

Zelgadis shook his head, “The proprietor of the shrine was still a kid. With big, pleading eyes. I just couldn’t.”

“Aww, see, you do have a heart!” Amelia said.

“Oh please.” Xellos said, “You know he just couldn’t bear to see our love go in flame.”

“I know! Let’s sing a song about the love we have for each other!” Amelia said.

“And on that note, I’ll be heading to bed!” Xellos said as he disappeared up the stairs in record time.

“Thanks Amelia.” Zelgadis said as he cradled his head in his hands. “So, does anyone have any idea how much I’m going to have to drink to erase this night from my memory?”

“It could be worse.” Lina said, “I mean, they could be writing stories about how horrible and ugly I am. This is much better actually.”

“I’m just glad to hear you’re not mad Miss Lina!” Amelia said, relief evident in her voice.

Lina’s eyes narrowed, “We’re still going to have a talk.”

Amelia made a strange gurgling sound as she turned blue, “Um, uncle!”

“Wow, that’s a record.” Gourry said.

“I’m going to bed.” Scarlet said as she made for the stairs, “Please, don’t think too poorly of me. Even people like me need an outlet for creativity.”

“But you know us!” Lina yelled. “I mean, it’s icky!”

Scarlet closed her eyes in embarrassment, “Night.”

“I’m going to find a bar.” Zelgadis said as he exited the door. Amelia shifted nervously.

“I guess I’d better go up.”

"Not so fast." Lina said, "We still have lots to discuss."

“Oh?” Amelia said nervously as she froze.

“First thing, should we go with a membership fee, or a fee per viewing? Also. I’m thinking of assessing a fee for everyone who contributes a work to the shrine, or any shrine bearing my likeness.”

Gourry’s jaw dropped. “You’re wanting to profit from this?”

"Miss Lina!" Amelia protested, “This is expression! Not a business opportunity!”

Lina shrugged, “Hey! If people are going to use my image to release their creative energies, I’d better profit from it!”

Gourry shook his head as Lina’s eyes lighted up, “Ooo, we should have some sort of concessions. I know! We’ll make up a menu with our favorite foods and the shrine can sell them!”

“Oh, this is a bad idea!” Amelia moaned as Lina laughed manically as visions of moneybag danced before her eyes.


	15. Otherwordly! A Night in a Haunted House!

“What do you mean you don’t accept these coins?” Lina yelled.

“You’re in the Elmekian Empire now.” The innkeeper said, “We only accept Elmekian currency.”

“But I’ve never heard of a place that was so strict with that!” Lina said.

“I guess you’ve never been to Elmekia then.” Gourry sang.

“And you never bothered to mention this because…?”

Gourry smiled proudly, “I forget!” 

Lina turned all sorts of furious shades of red as she opened her mouth to tear into him when Scarlet intervened, “Well then, where’s a bank where we can get our money changed?”

“They’re all closed right now.” The innkeeper responded tartly.

“Well, I am the Princess of Seyruun.” Amelia rushed in to say as she showed the innkeeper her seal before Lina could explode. “How about charging it to my kingdom?”

But the innkeeper looked at the seal with disdain, “For all I know that’s a forgery.”

Lina felt her eyebrow twitch, “So what are we supposed to do? Sleep in the streets?”

“Well, a few blocks down is the Del Toro Hotel.” The innkeeper said. “It’s free to stay...”

“Free?!” Lina asked.

“What’s the catch?” Zelgadis asked, looking skeptical.

“First, you have to stay in a room all by yourself.” The innkeeper explained.

“That’s no biggy.” Lina said.

“And second, it’s haunted.”

“Wah!” Amelia cried. “No way!”

“And anyone who stays the entire night wins a 1000 coins in prize money.”

“That settles it!” Lina said.

“But Miss Lina!”

“Oh come on, Amelia!” Lina said, “You’re a priestess. You can perform exorcisms!”

“It still doesn’t mean I like ghosts!” Amelia said as her knees started trembling.

“Well buckle up.” Lina said, “I want that prize money!”

* * *

Organ music played from within the Del Toro hotel as thunder clashed dramatically around it, illuminating the old wood, the paint stripped away years ago by sandstorms. Lina’s first thought was that in a small town of mud brick houses, it was strange to see a wood house, and that it looked rather fragile and dilapidated, even if it had once likely been more beautiful than the mud brick buildings. 

Whoever built it had even taken care to import some large trees and must have spent a fortune on water to keep them alive. They appeared ominous guardians of the house. And then there were the stone gargoyles that kept watch on the roof top overlooked by a large gothic tower. 

Lina erupted into chills as she approached it, though she did her best to hide it. But not good enough for Gourry to miss it. He casually wrapped an arm around her. “You okay?”

“Fine!” she said, as beside her Amelia’s teeth starting chattering.

“D-do we really have to stay here?” she asked.

“Oh, grow up!” Lina said as she climbed the stairs that led to the door at the base of the tower. She took a deep breath and pushed the heavy oak doors open. They creaked appropriately. Also appropriately, the foyer was covered in cobwebs.

Lina felt her fear die a bit, “Yeesh, this couldn’t be more textbook if it tried.”

“Welcome to the Del Toro hotel!”

Amelia jumped a mile as she pointed at an old crone standing at the top of the stairs. She wore old black robes, and her hair was completely white, thin, and limped down her face. Her nose was long and warty.

“Only the bravest can survive the night here! If you stay here, you will be visited by the supernatural! Ghosts! Demons! Werewolves! Vampires (the non-sparkly kind), and more! If you stay the night, in the morning you will be rewarded with a 1000 gold coins! But if you leave, then you will pay a 1000 gold coins.”

Lina folded her arms across her chest confidently while Gourry looked confused as Zelgadis looked bored. Xellos seemed excited about staying at the hotel, and strangely, so did Scarlet. Only Amelia seemed nervous. “Yeah. Considering what we’ve faced, a ghost won’t be that bad.” Lina said.

“Then here are the rules.” The crone said, “First, one person to each room. No one shares.”

“Aww.” Gourry said as Lina stepped on his foot while Amelia wrapped her arms around herself.

“No biggy.”

“If at any time you want to leave, all you have to do is scream ‘Bloody Mary’ three times! And you will be allowed to leave, but you will have to pay over the 1000 gold coins.”

“Makes sense.” Lina said.

“And, it’s all of you or nothing. If either of you leave your room, then no one gets the prize and you have to pay 1000 gold coins.”

“What!” Lina exclaimed, “That’s not fair.”

“Well, look, I can’t afford 1000 coins for each of you.” The crone said as she dropped the fire and brimstone act and became all business like. “So all six of you have to stay in your room all night and divide the prize money between you. If you all make it through the night, that is. Otherwise you will be paying me a 1000 gold coins.”

“This is starting to sound like a rip off.” Zelgadis said.

“Seconded.” Scarlet added.

Lina turned and glared at each of them. “All right, listen up. No one screams ‘Bloody Mary’ tonight for any reason! Otherwise, a piddling ghost will be the last thing you have to worry about. Because then you’ll have to face me!”

Amelia gulped and nodded. Scarlet shrugged, “This should be interesting.”

“You don’t have to worry about me.” Zel said.

“Or me.” Gourry added.

Lina glared at Xellos. “Perhaps you should stay wherever it is that monsters retire to.”

“Oh, but Miss Lina, this seems like so much fun! I wouldn’t miss it for anything!”

Lina glared at him, wondering if she could trust him to really stay in his room all night. Lina could easily see Xellos blowing it to deny her the prize money, “Fine, but if you leave your room before the time is up, then you will meet my sword of darkness.”

“Understood.” Xellos said with a smile.

* * *

The first thing that Lina’s eyes fell upon when she walked into her room was the ornate full length mirror. So often in inns all there was were the half-length mirrors. Lina stopped and admired herself and then frowned when she realized that the person staring back at her was not her!

“What the…” Lina cried as she looked at the young blond girl. She looked to be around fifteen and was wearing a long prairie dress. She smiled and waved at Lina, who waved uncertainly back as the moonlight hit the mirror.

A devious gleam shone in the blond girl’s eyes, and suddenly she reached to the mirror. Lina cried out as her arms shot through the glass and into Lina’s room! “But how…”

But before Lina could think to act, the blond girl had pulled her into her side of the mirror! “What is this?” Lina asked.

“This is my home.” The blond girl said, “I live here with my grannie.”

“And why did you bring me here?” Lina asked.

The blond girl shrugged, “I just get so lonely being here by myself all the time.”

“Then get a dog.” Lina said as she looked at the mirror and wondered how to get back to her inn. 

“Don’t be like that.” She said, “My name is Lizzie, what’s yours?”

“I’m busy!” Lina snapped as she looked at the carvings on the side of the mirror. Perhaps there was a clue as to how to get back there.

Lizzie hit Lina on the head, “That’s not very nice!”

Lina gritted her teeth in frustration as she snapped, “Well I’m not very nice!”

Lizzie was silent for a moment. Then she lit up like a light spell, “Hey I know! Why don’t we scrub the floors together! Won’t that be fun?”

Lina gritted her teeth and wondered if she had discovered hell, “In what world does scrubbing the floors fall under the category of ‘fun?’”

“Well, if you don’t like scrubbing the floors we could always muck out the stables…”

“Oh hell no!” Lina yelled as she tapped on the glass, “Get me out of here!”

From the reflection in the mirror, Lina saw Lizzie grab an ax. “What…”

“If you try to leave I’ll hit you with this!” Lizzie said, and Lina saw a strange gleam in her eyes.

“Watch where you’re pointing that thing!” Lina said, “What are you trying to do, kill me!?”

“Well, if you won’t be my friend…”

“So what, you go around killing people who won’t be your friend?”

Lizzie smiled and nodded, “Yup! You would by my fifth!”

“But that makes no sense!”

“This is your only chance!” Lizzie said, “Either be my friend or I’ll hit you with this ax!”

Lina groaned, and realized that she was going to have to spend the night with this annoying little ax murderess. Because there was no way in hell she was screaming “Bloody Mary!” Even if she did have to muck out the stables.

* * *

Gourry walked into his room and closed the door behind him. The bed looked nice and inviting. Staying in a haunted inn didn’t bother him much. He was so tired he felt as though he would simply sleep through whatever it was that planned to haunt him. He laid down, closed his eyes, and the next thing he knew, he was woken by a strange mechanical sound. Gourry bolted upright. He had never heard anything like it before! 

He looked and saw a man wearing a weird tanned mask and holding a strange looking sword. He smelled gasoline, something he remembered bubbling from wells near his hometown. The sword had strange looking teeth along its edge that were moving rather fast and the man kept revving it, making the horrid grinding sound louder and louder. Then, to Gourry’s dismay, he brought the strange sword down upon the bureau and cut it in half!

Gourry moved to grab his sword, but found it was gone! He looked to the door and wondered about leaving. But then, Lina would be mad if he did that and he would definitely be consigned to the dog house for a while. So he took a deep breath and considered the masked man and formed a plan of action.

* * *

The first thing Zelgadis noticed when he walked into his room was the creepy tree right outside his window. Lightning flashed, followed by the clamor of thunder, and Zelgadis laughed and wondered just how unoriginal this haunted hotel was going to be. He could almost hear the voiceover narrate, “It was a dark and stormy night…”

He set his stuff by the desk and sat down, determined to take some notes before going to bed. Lightning flashed again, and Zelgadis noted that the storm was getting closer as the timing of the thunder caught up to it.

Zelgadis wasn’t sure how long he’d been sitting at the desk when a branch from the tree suddenly crashed through the window! At first Zelgadis thought that the branch had just fallen due to the wind, but then, to his horror, he saw that the branches were acting like arms, reaching for him, and grabbing at him! 

Zelgadis backed away, but the tree moaned, “I’m so hungry!” And caught him and dragged him outside in the storm. Zelgadis called out as he saw a large, mouth like circle open within the tree’s trunk and realized that the branch was dragging him right into it! Zelgadis watched in horror as his legs sank into the hole and wondered which would be worse, being eaten by a tree or screaming “Bloody Mary” and having to face Lina in the morning.

* * *

“LIGHTING!” Amelia called, and she waited until her room was well illuminated before she tentatively stepped in. 

Amelia looked around the room, saw nothing, took a deep breath and closed the door. The light spell flickered and fizzled. “What?” Amelia cried, and when it grew strong again, Amelia’s eyes were drawn to a small figure huddled in the corner of the room! Amelia cried out and put her hand on the door handle and debated which was worse. Confronting a ghost, or confronting Lina’s rage if she didn’t get the prize money? Amelia gulped. Lina’s rage was definitely worse. As for the little freaky child ghost, she kept on crying in the corner. 

“Just ignore her.” Amelia told herself. Surely if she ignored the creepy child ghost, the creepy child ghost would leave her alone.

“Daddy!” Wailed the creepy child ghost, and Amelia, and against her better judgement, turned to look at her.

The little ghost girl had huge eyes. Huge, shimmering eyes.

Amelia turned away, but those eyes haunted her. How could she turn away from such a sweet little ghost girl? 

“Daddy!” the ghost girl wailed again.

_Maybe you have this all wrong Amelia! Afterall, aren’t ghosts people who hang around because they haven’t completed everything they need to? May be the little ghost girl needs to find her daddy. I know! I can help her find her daddy!_

Fueled with a sense of righteousness that drove away her fear, Amelia said as walked over and knelt down by the ghost girl, “Okay, it’s okay. I’m Amelia. What’s your name?”

“Amy.” She said as she looked at Amelia with her big, translucent eyes.

“And you’re looking for your daddy?” Amelia asked, “When was the last time you saw him?”

“When he was driving the tractor he ran me over with.” Amy replied.

* * *

“Record.” Scarlet said with a smile. It was her own custom spell. Now everything that happened in this room would have a visual record.

Scarlet looked into the ball of energy that served as the recording device and said, “I am Scarlet Rubaka, and I am in room 309 of the Del Toro Hotel. The time is 9:00PM, one hour after dusk. I am in a small room facing the west. There are two large windows with shutters, a queen sized bed, a desk and a bureau. Thus far, there is no ghost activity. Whether any shows up remains to be seen.”

With a sigh Scarlet set at the desk and pulled out some notes and started reviewing them. She nearly jumped out of her chair when she heard something hit the window. She turned to stare at it as the sound rang again, like a tapping, the tapping of a hand against the window. “I hear someone tapping at my window. I want it on record that we are three floors up, and there is no balcony.” Scarlet said.

Scarlet walked up to the windows and the sounds stopped. She looked into the darkness, not noticing the black shadow that briefly fell upon her. But the recorder missed nothing. Scarlet sighed and shook her head. “Recorder, play back from two minutes ago.”

A beam projected from the recorder, and Scarlet saw her room projected within the room. She manipulated her hands to zero in on the window, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw it. A disembodied ghostly hand rapping at the glass.

* * *

Xellos walked into his room and wondered what ridiculous thing they would hurl his way. He also wondered whether it would be better to stick whatever it was out all night or end it early to blow Lina’s chances at the prize money.

As he deliberated his options, his attention was distracted by the sound of music. Xellos paled as his eyes widened and beheld the worst sight he had ever seen. He screamed.

* * *

“You’re crazy!” Lina screamed as she dodged the ax. 

Lizzie smiled as she brought the ax around for another swing, “Please be my friend!”

“No!” Lina said, and then she dodged another swing of the ax. “SLEEPING!”

The spell hit Lizzie full on, but it merely slowed her down. Lina groaned in exasperation as Lizzie gave the ax a few practice swings. “I know! We could go put flowers on the graves of the girls I murdered!”

“Lady, you need more help than I can give you!” Lina snarled as she backed into the wall and her hand closed around a large glass orb. Lizzie swung the ax and Lina dodged and managed to pivot to bring the orb down on Lizzie’s head.

Lizzie fell to the ground. Lina looked at her for a moment and, confident that she wouldn’t be bothering her soon, went back to examine the mirror. But then in the reflection she saw Lizzie pick herself up. “Oh just go away already!” Lina said.

“That wasn’t very nice!” Lizzie replied.

“Yeah, well, I’m not a very nice person!” Lina shot back. “In fact, when I’m grumpy like I am right now, I can be a rather mean person!”

Lizzie folded her arms across her chest, “I don’t want to be friends with a mean person.”

“Then send me back to my room already!” Lina yelled.

Lizzie thought for a moment, then she slowly said, “Wait a minute, is this just your way of trying to make me not hit you with an ax?”

Lina felt her jaw drop. And she thought explaining things to Gourry was hard! The she thought for a moment. All she had to do was survive the night with Lizzie after all. In the morning, she could leave, “Hey Lizzie, you know it’s late. May be we should just all lay down and sleep for a bit. Then in the morning we can wash the floors.”

Lizzie looked at her for a moment. “Okay.”

* * *

“I hate to have to tell you this.” Gourry said, “But your form is all wrong.”

The masked man stopped revving the sword. “Huh?”

“Well, you’re making your body work too hard to move your sword.”

“Chainsaw.” The masked man corrected.

“Oh, is that what that’s called? I’ve never heard of a sword like that!”

“It’s not a sword.” The man said, “It’s a chainsaw.”

“Whatever.” Gourry said, “But look, the way that you’re moving is all wrong. If you do this, you use your bodies’ natural momentum to move the painsaw.”

Gourry demonstrated a smooth movement, and the man watched impressed. “Like this?” he asked as he tried to mimic Gourry’s moves.

“Almost.” Gourry said. “Here, like this.”

* * *

He had been dressed as a woman. He had been used as an anchor. He had been forced to dress as a bunny. But of all of the indignities he had suffered while traveling with Lina, being eaten by a giant tree took the cake!

“I am getting too old for this!” Zelgadis muttered, “ELEMEKIA LANCE!”

It hit the tree, but it didn’t seem to do anything as Zelgadis’s feet were dragged into the tree’s hideous mouth. Zelgadis felt slime start to coat his pants as the tree slowly devoured him. And then, before Zelgadis could comprehend what was happening, he was being spit out, “You taste horrible!” the tree yelled as it hacked and coughed, showering Zelgadis with spit as the tree put him back in his room. “I was expecting a nice, tender human! But you taste of damp rock!”

Zelgadis closed his eyes and leaned against his desk, and found himself in one of those strange instances where he was reminded of how lucky he was to have his body. Then he scowled as he realized he would have to wait until morning to go to the baths and wash the slobber off.

* * *

“Y-your daddy ran you over with a tractor?” Amelia asked.

Amy nodded, “That’s why I have to find him!”

“Huh?” Amelia said.

Suddenly Amy transformed from a cute cherubic ghost into an angry, vengeful spirit, “So I can kill him!”

Amelia’s screamed, “He’s in the foyer! I saw him in the foyer!”

“Thank you miss!” the ghost said, and she went soaring out of the room.

Amelia heaved a sigh of relief as she tried to control the shaking of her limbs. Only to jump out of her skin again as Amy returned yelling, “He’s not there!”

“I guess he stepped out for a moment,” Amelia said weakly, “Here, why don’t I tell you a story while we wait for him.”

“Okay!” Amy said as she hovered around Amelia. Amelia shuddered, but started to tell a long, intricate tale her father used to tell her about the pointlessness of revenge.

* * *

“4:32AM,” Scarlet said as she looked tiredly into the camera, “By this point, it is undeniable that there is a presence haunting this hotel room. I do not dare open the windows, despite the fact that it is bloody hot in here. And…”

Scarlet stopped as a scratching sound could be discerned. She looked at the windows and gasped as she saw, written in blood, the words, “Let me in.”

Once again a shadow passed over her, and then she heard a squeaking sound. “Oh!” she screamed as she saw bloody handprints form on the walls, as if someone was walking up on them. “4:35AM, bloody handprints are appearing on the walls! Damn, I hope this is recording. Oh my…they’re on the ceiling now! It’s directly over me! Dammit, I’m not sure if the ceiling in included in this recording! Please tell me this is being captured!”

Scarlet stopped talking as blood dripped on her head. “Oh how ghastly!” She took a deep breath, and moved to the other side of the room and asked, “What is it you want?”

There was a sound of evil laughter that washed over the room, and then silence. Scarlet took another deep breath. The blood had gone from the walls. “Fascinating.” Scarlet said as she got out her quill and started to write in her journal.

* * *

Xellos looked very sick as he sat in a pink boat bedecked with hearts beside a purple dinosaur, “I just love being your friend, Xellos!” the dinosaur crooned.

The water the boat was sailing through was dyed pink, and on either side of the banks was a world that could have been constructed by Amelia. People with smiles were linked hand and hand as they sang, “It’s a just world after all! It’s a just world after all!”

Xellos moaned as a banner ahead proclaimed they were about to go through the tunnel of love as the people sang, “There is love and friendship and it saves the day! And those evildoers, they always pay! Let’s give hugs and be friends! Lovey love never ends! It’s a just world after all!”

“I think I’m going to be sick!” Xellos said, and then he screamed as, up ahead in the tunnel of love he could see that people were hugging and kissing. “Bloody Mary! Bloody Mary! Bloody Mary!”

* * *

“Well, it got a bit hairy there, but I made it through the night!” Lina said as she walked into the breakfast area.

“Me too.” Gourry said, “Though it wasn’t too bad. I just found what we had in common.”

“Leave it to Mr. Gourry to find something in common with a ghost.” Amelia said. She was still shaky, but she had survived her ordeal with Amy the ghost girl. 

“It was no problem at all for me.” Scarlet said as she buttered her toast, “It was actually a rather productive night. I’ll have some interesting research to present at the next meeting of the Society of Supernatural Research.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Zelgadis said as he came in, toweling his hair dry. “But I made it through the night.”

“Well, that means we did it.” Lina said cheerfully. “That prize money is ours!”

“Not so fast!” The crone said, “One member of your group didn’t make it.”

Lina went red, “Xellos!” she yelled.

“Yes?” he asked as he appeared.

“What did I say about leaving early?” she asked.

“Oh Mr. Xellos, how could you?” Amelia asked, “I stayed there all night with a creepy ghost girl and…”

“Now, now, Amelia. Wasn’t it all in good fun?”

“No!” Amelia said as her hands bunched into fists.

Lina glared daggers at Xellos, “Well, since you broke the pact, then you can fork over the money.”

“But Miss Lina…”

“FORK IT!” Amelia yelled.

“Oh, all right.” Xellos said as he handed the crone a bag of coins.

But Lina still wasn’t satisfied, “And, while you’re at it, a thousand for us, since we should get something for staying the night.”

“Something more than free board?” Scarlet asked as she sipped her tea.

“Miss Lina’s right!” Amelia said, “I want some money for my pain and suffering.”

“But I’m out of money.” Xellos said.

“Ohh, I was wanting to use that for our expenses!” Lina fumed.

“Well, the banks should be open now. So we can get our money exchanged.” Zelgadis said.

“But they charge exorbitant fees for doing so! We wouldn’t be getting our money’s worth!” Lina said.

“Well, there’s a contest going on today. The prize is 1000 gold coins.” Xellos said.

“Oh?” Lina asked. “And you would know this, how?”

“I just know.” Xellos said, “Only Gourry, Zelgadis and myself would be able to enter it, though.”

“Why, what’s the contest?” Gourry asked.

“It’s the Bishonen Beauty Contest!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love ghost stories and Halloween is my favorite time of the year. So each encounter the characters have is based on a story (book, tv, or movie) or a place. And anyone who guesses all six will get a prize! There's also a ton of other horror references in this. Admittedly Lina and Amelia's are so obscure I doubt anyone will get them, but anyone who does recognize Lina's, in addition to having a high probability of being my new best friend, will also understand where my fear of being murdered by an ax wielding maniac sprang from. I will post the answers next week when I post the next chapter.


	16. Pretty Boy! The Bishonen Beauty Contest!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had several good guesses for last weeks chapter. Lovely White Violets got the most right, so she is the winner!  
> 1\. Lina's was tricky. A few people got the Lizzie Borden reference, but not the actual story I was referencing, which was a book called, "Stranger in the Mirror" by Lynn Beach. It was one of my favorite books as a pre-teen and I read it several times in the span of a week. I also attribute it to the birth of my fear of ax murderers.  
> 2\. Gourry's was Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the first slasher movie I saw, and where I learned why my mom didn't want me to watch those movies (I was 10, it was a slumber party...)  
> 3\. Zel's was "Poltergeist." The original, I've not seen the remake. Growing up we had an inground pool in the backyard and a big tree right outside my bedroom window. And considering I live in t-storm alley, I spent many a sleepless night during a thunderstorm looking at that tree in sheer terror, convinced it was going to crash through the window and eat me.  
> 4\. Amelia's was also real hard, though people familiar with my LJ might have recognized it because I wrote about it. At Six Flags Over Texas (a theme park) there are rumors that the park is haunted by a little girl named Amy (well in high school she was Amy, now I hear she's called Annie). She was either run over by her father's tractor or she drowned in the creek by the Judge Roy Scream. As prevalent as this rumor was, and considering I was at Six Flags all the time and knew lots of people who worked there, I never met anyone who claimed to have encountered her, but I liked the story.  
> 5\. I made Scarlet's easy to make up for Amelia's. Pretty much any mockumentary. I was watching "Das Prasanz" when I thought of it, but would have accepted "The Blair Witch Project" or the "Paranormal Entity" films.  
> 6\. Several people got "Barney", but no one picked up on the "It's a Small World" ride at Disney Land. I have vivid memories of riding that with my three year old sister when I was 5, and she seriously freaked out and screamed and cried the whole time while my mother patiently bore it. According to my sissy, that is a horror ride!
> 
> Other horror references: Del Toro Hotel was named for Guillermo Del Toro, the creative genius behind "Pan's Labyrinth" and "The Orphanage" (The Orphanage being one of my top three favorite horror flicks). And the descriptions of the hotel were based off the Addam's Family House, but I'm not sure how well that came through.
> 
> Anyway, onto the fic! Three humor episodes down, one to go!

“I refuse!” Zelgadis yelled.

“What, scared you can’t win against Gourry?” Lina asked slyly.

Zelgadis reddened, “I simply have no interest in making a spectacle of myself for a beauty contest.”

“Well, too bad!” Lina snapped, “You, Xellos and Gourry are joining! One of you has to win it!”

“And just what makes you think we’re going to go along with this?” Zelgadis asked.

Lina raised her hand and pointed one finger, “Xellos has to since he blew our chances of winning the prize money here,” she then ticked off a second finger, “and Gourry has to do what I say now since I’m his girlfriend…”

“I do?” Gourry asked vaguely.

“Yes! You do!” Lina snapped, and she ticked off her third finger. “And Zel, you have to do it because…”

She paused, and Zelgadis raised an eyebrow in anticipation of what she would say. “I’ll spill the dirt on you if you don’t.”

Zelgadis’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t!”

Lina nodded, “I would.”

“Dirt?” Amelia asked, “What dirt?”

“The dirt I know that Zel doesn’t want you to know.”

Zelgadis turned purple with rage, but slumped in defeat. “Fine.” He grumbled.

Lina smiled as she folded her arms in satisfaction. The crone whopped for joy, “Well, if this group is going, I’m definitely going to watch!”

“Then lead us to the competition.” Lina said.

* * *

“I managed to finagle front row seats.” The crone said as she handed tickets to Lina, Amelia and Scarlet.

“Alright!” Lina said as she grabbed her ticket and took off to the auditorium.

“I’ve never been to a Bishonen Beauty Contest before.” Amelia said, “I wonder what it will be like.”

“I still don’t see why we are wasting our time with this when we could just get our money changed.” Scarlet said.

“Spoilsport.” Lina said as she found her seat. Amelia took a seat beside her, and they chatted as they waited for the contest to start.

They didn’t have to wait long. Soon a short and round old woman came to the podium, and in a cutesy fairy voice announced, “Ladies and gentlemen! I’m Puella Pulchritude, and let me welcome you to the 31st Annual Bishonen Beauty Contest! Only the most beautiful, graceful and manly of men can win this contest. There will be four competitions on which our contestants will be judged. There will be a talent competition, a personality contest...”

Lina buried her face in her hands, “Gourry is doomed.”

“A shirtless competition to judge their physical fitness, of course.”

“Oh!” Amelia said as she lit up.

“You’re starting to see the appeal.” The old crone said.

“I can’t believe I’m going to watch this.” Scarlet said haughtily.

“And a women’s dress competition.”

“Huh!?” Lina, Amelia and Scarlet screamed.

“Because the mark of a true Bishonen is that he is beautiful enough to pass for a woman.”

“Well, we do know that Gourry makes a beautiful girl.” Lina said as she folded her arms across herself.

“Not as beautiful as Mr. Zelgadis.” Amelia said petulantly.

Lina felt her eyebrow tick, “Bets that Gourry will win?”

“Deal!” Amelia said, “Because Mr. Zelgadis will!”

“What are we betting?”

“Winner gets to choose where to eat for a week.” Amelia said.

Lina nodded, “Done.”

“And now I have the pleasure of introducing our contestants.” Puella bellowed.

Cheesy music started playing as the curtain rose on about fifty contestants dressed in white shirts and black pants. The host started calling names and as she did the contestant would walk across the catwalk, pose, and then stand on another side of the stage. When Gourry was called Lina cheered loudly as she noticed appreciatively that wind seemed to be blowing from somewhere, causing his hair to billow dramatically around him. Zelgadis was called next, and he looked obviously less comfortable than Gourry. Puella called a few more names, but Lina figured that there was no competition. That was until she called, “Touga Kenshin.”

The crowd erupted in cheers as a beautiful man with long red hair walked across the stage and waved confidently. “Uh-oh.” Amelia said, “He’s good.”

The crone sighed, “Yes, he’s favored to win. Oh my gosh! Did you see? He just winked at me!”

“He most certainly did not.” Scarlet said haughtily as she folded her arms across her chest.

“Did too.” The crone said.

“Take your petty argument elsewhere!” Lina snapped, “We have a big problem here!”

“What, you don’t think your boyfriend is pretty enough to win?” Scarlet asked.

Lina reddened, “He’s pretty enough! I’m just really worried about that personality competition.”

The host continued to announce names until she had run out of contestants, with the last being Xellos, who seemed to enjoy strutting across the stage far too much as he winked and waved to the crowd. Lina got a little queasy just looking at him.

“Now, we will announce our top ten contestants.” The host announced.

“Top ten?” Lina said, “But how do they figure that? I mean, the contest has just started.”

“Yeah, but do you really want to sit through fifty people singing the same song over and over again in the talent show?” the crone asked.

“Oh.” Lina said nervously.

Her anxiety was short lived. Gourry’s was the first name called, along with Zelgadis. Unfortunately, Touga was also called. And somehow, even Xellos managed to make the cut. As for the other six, Lina paid them little mind. It was Touga she was worried about.

“We will now start the talent show!”

“Oh, this should be fun!” Amelia said. “I can’t wait to see what they will do.”

“Many have sought the secrets of the Gungieniel Sword Style. Few have mastered them. Now, Gourry Gabriev will demonstrate his talents.”

“Whoa.” Lina said, “I never knew he was a Gungieniel Knight…”

“It makes sense now that I think of it, though.” Amelia said as the curtain opened and Gourry appeared, dressed in blue robes.

He effortlessly went through a series of moves and implemented them with his usual grace. Lina smiled as she watched him. It was easy to feel that they had it in the bag. Especially when he closed by bisecting twenty coins that were hurled at him perfectly in the middle, which he threw to the audience as keepsakes.

“Woohoo!” Lina said as she clapped, “We have this in the bag!”

“Not so fast Miss Lina!” Amelia said, “Mr. Zelgadis hasn’t gone yet!”

“There’s no way that morose bookworm has any secret talents.” Lina said.

But Puella came on to the stage and announced, “Music enriches all our lives. And now, Zelgadis Greywards will perform ‘Softly’ on his guitar.”

“What!?” Lina yelled.

“Shh!” The crone said as Amelia clasped her hands to her face.

The curtain opened, and Zelgadis appeared in the middle of the stage, holding his guitar, which he started to strum. To Lina’s dismay, he was actually good, and the sounds of a melodic love song filled the auditorium as women started to grow starry eyed around them. Amelia sighed, her own eyes glittering diamonds. “Oh, get it out of your system already!” Lina snapped.

“Hush!” the audience warned.

Zelgadis finished and took a bow, and even managed to give a shy wave as he blushed. Yet somehow the blushing seemed to amplify the effect as a woman behind them said, “He’s so cute!”

Lina fumed as Amelia all but danced victoriously, until the Puella came out again and said, “And now, Touga Kenshin will serenade you with ‘Loveliest Woman in the World.’”

“Oh no. This is bad.” Lina said.

“I agree.” Amelia said as the curtain opened on Touga.

He picked up the microphone, and somehow managed to stare at the audience in such a manner that every woman in it thought he was starring only at her and, once entranced, he started crooning in a deep baritone a song of such love and desire that it was hard to not swoon. Lina turned to look at Amelia, and they shared a look of panic. “What should we do?” Amelia asked.

“He has to have a weakness!” Lina said, “No one can be that perfect!”

Kenshin finished singing, and the audience erupted into a raucous applause. Around them women leapt to their feet as they clapped so hard Lina marveled that their hands didn’t split. “Maybe if we started a rumor that he likes to kiss slugs…” Amelia said as Lina turned blue.

“It wouldn’t work.” Scarlet said disdainfully, “Women would just pick out the plushiest ones to give to him.”

Lina clutched her stomach, “I think you have a point.”

It took Puella several minutes reign in the crowd, which only heightened Lina and Amelias’ anxiety. Fortunately the next few acts weren’t anything to sneeze at. But then Xellos’ turn came up. Lina folded her arms across her chest, “This should be interesting.” She mused.

“Now ladies, are you ready for some magic?” Puella Pulchritude asked, “Because Xellos the Magician is ready to show some off!”

“Oh, that cheater!” Lina said as Xellos came out, dressed in a cape and top hat, which he quickly proceeded to pull a rabbit from.

“No worries, they might be neat tricks, but they’re unlikely to melt hearts.” Scarlet observed.

But then Xellos threw the rabbit to the audience and it morphed into a dozen red roses. “You were saying?” Lina asked as the women around them went wild in an attempt to catch them.

“Tata!” Xellos said as he waved and then threw his cape over himself as vanished. Considering he was a monster, it was well within his range of things to do. But the audience didn’t know that and went crazy over his little vanishing act.

Once Puella got the audience under control, she announced that it was time for the personality contest, and Lina felt her stomach clench. If Gourry was going to mess up, it would be here. Fortunately she didn’t have to wait with her anxiety long as he went first. Lina pulled at her hair nervously. Gourry walked on stage and sat in the chair, and Lina hoped that he didn’t look as idiotic to the judges as he did to her. Regardless, Gourry smiled cluelessly as the host asked him, “What is the meaning of life?”

Lina groaned.

Gourry smiled, “Oh, that’s easy! Protecting Lina.”

Lina felt her heart thump.

“Oh, and who is this Lina?” Puella asked knowingly.

“Lina Inverse.” Gourry said.

A gasp rang through the crowd, “The bandit killer?” the Puella asked, the warmth gone from her voice.

“Well, she kills bandits, but she also…”

“Destroys towns!” Puella finished for him, “Why would you want to protect her?”

“I don’t know. She saved the world, so I decided to protect her.” Gourry said, “She’s not that bad when you get to know her.”

The host looked at Gourry critically, “Very well. Next contestant.”

Lina stared at the stage blankly for a minute. From around her she deduced people were in two camps, those who thought he was an idiot for aligning himself with the enemy of all who lived, and those who wished a man loved them enough to forgive them their faults so openly. “Well?” Scarlet asked.

Lina smiled, “I don’t give a damn if they give him zero points. As far as I care he won this competition.”

Zelgadis stepped to the mic, and the host asked, “What is your biggest regret in life?”

Zelgadis scowled, and looked at Lina, who scowled right back and mouthed the words, “I will spill.”

Zelgadis sighed, “Wishing for strength and not wisdom.”

“Care to elaborate on that?” Puella asked as she leaned forward conspiratorially.

“No.” Zelgadis said as he folded his arms across his chest and glared at her.

“Well,” Puella said, taken aback, “Next contestant!”

The audience clapped politely as Lina whispered to Amelia, “Well, that was a letdown.”

Amelia nodded mournfully. “Tell me about it.”

Next was Touga, who looked way too comfortable as he strolled onto the stage and took a seat. “What is your idea of a perfect woman?” Puella asked.

Touga turned to the audience and favored them with a grin, “Every woman is perfect in her own special way. It’s just up to the man to find out how.”

The audience collectively swooned. 

“Miss Lina! He did it again!” Amelia said.

“Grr, how does he does that?” Lina asked as Scarlet sighed.

“Oh, you did not just sigh!” Lina said.

“Oh no, of course I didn’t!” Scarlet said defensively.

“Did too.” The crone said.

The rest of the men went through their personality questions until at last it was Xellos’ turn. “One day while walking down the street, you find a wallet filled with coins. What would you do?”

“Well, seeing as I have no need for money, I would leave it be of course!” Xellos said.

“You wouldn’t try to find who dropped it?”

“I’m too busy with other things to do.”

Lina crushed her face into her hands, “That’s it, we’re doomed!”

“Don’t worry, Miss Lina!” Amelia said, “Perhaps Touga has a very ugly chest.”

Suddenly music blared from the speakers, and a singer crooned, “I’m too sexy for my shirt…” as the lights fell upon a long catwalk. The audience started whooping and cheering, and Lina turned to look at Amelia, “I think this is a bit much for a cartoon.”

Amelia nodded.

But Gourry confidently walked down the catwalk as a gentle breeze hit him, blowing his unbuttoned shirt open. Lina bit her lip as Amelia whispered, “He should get a lot of points in this one!”

Lina nodded, “You don’t have to tell me.”

Gourry got to the end of the catwalk and posed and let his muscles rip. “I think he’s enjoying this a bit too much.” Scarlet said as the audience cheered.

“Well if your body is that beautiful you wouldn’t mind showing it off.” Lina said.

Gourry turned to leave, but Zelgadis did not come out. Lina turned red and yelled, “Zel if you don’t get your butt out here I will spill the beans!”

Zelgadis hurried out, looking a bit stiffer and uncomfortable with the attention. He did not pose when he got to the end of the catwalk, but quickly turned around as if he couldn’t wait to leave. Touga was next, and for once Lina had to grin. He looked nice, but not as nice as Gourry. And, of course, Xellos had nothing on Gourry, but that didn’t stop him from hamming it up on the catwalk. Lina’s mood was buoyed considerably by the end of it.

“And now,” Puella said as she came onto the stage again, “the mark of a good Bishonen is that he is pretty enough to be mistaken for a woman. So now our contestants will model evening gowns.”

“Excuse me.” Lina said as she got up, “But I’d better remind the boys about what will happen if they don’t do this.” 

Amelia and Scarlet exchanged a look as romantic music started to play. After a few minutes Lina returned, looking pleased with herself. “Are they really going to do it?” Amelia asked.

“Indeed they are.” Lina said.

Scarlet shook her head, “It must be nice to have so many wrapped around your finger.”

“I don’t suppose I’ll ever find out what dirt you have on Mr. Zelgadis…” Amelia muttered.

Lina laughed as the lights dimmed and a spotlight shone on the stage. This time, Gourry looked decidedly less comfortable as he walked across the catwalk in a long blue sequined gown. But he did look stunning. Strange as it was, he looked good in a dress. Zelgadis followed in a lavender ensemble, and he looked positively miserable. So miserable that Lina was certain he wouldn’t get much in the way of points. From her seat she whispered, “Try to look happy!”

Zelgadis responded by giving an exaggerated smile that seemed so forced that it made things worse. Lina groaned as Amelia said dejectedly, “Well, there’s still a chance that Touga can’t pull this off.”

But Touga floated out in an emerald green gown. He looked so at ease and comfortable that he put the other men to shame as he walked to the end of the catwalk and gave twirl. He dipped, and blew a few kisses, which caused the crowd to go crazy. Lina groaned. “I’ll be right back.”

“Miss Lina!” Amelia said as Lina got up, but Lina kept walking.

“What’s she up to?” Scarlet asked.

“Hopefully nothing too drastic.” Amelia replied.

Lina was gone for a few minutes, but came back just in time to see Xellos parade down the catwalk in a billowing white dress. Lina blanched, “I think he is enjoying this way too much.”

Xellos posed, bending to touch his elbows to his knees as he gave the crowd a wink. “Don’t look at us, you’re the one who forced him into this.” Scarlet said.

“I thought it would be more punitive for him.” Lina replied as she folded her arms across her chest.

“And there you have it!” Puella Pulchritude said as she came back onto the stage, “Let’s give all of our contestants a round of applause while we await the judges’ verdict.”

Lina and the others clapped, and Amelia looked at Lina suspiciously. “What?” Lina said.

“You look rather confident.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Lina said.

“Miss Lina!” Amelia said, “You didn’t threaten the judges did you?”

“Of course I didn’t!” Lina said as the men came back onto the stage, dressed in tuxedos.

“We will now announce our top three contestants.” Puella said. Amelia grabbed Lina’s hand anxiously as Puella opened an envelope, “Our top three contestants are Touga Kenshin!”

The auditorium erupted into applause as Lina spat, “Damn.”

“Gourry Gabriev!”

Lina cheered loudly as Amelia looked nervously as Puella continued, “And Zelgadis Greywards!”

Zelgadis buried his face in his hands as he went to stand beside Touga and Gourry. Touga looked confident. Gourry looked bewildered. Then the drums started rolling as Puella said in a serious voice, “And now I will announce the third place winner!” 

“Why do they do this?” Scarlet asked, “It’s so pointless. Why not just announce the winner?”

“It builds suspense.” The crone replied.

“It must be agony for the poor souls who hope to win this.” Scarlet replied.

“Shh!” someone hushed.

“And, our winner for third place is, Zelgadis Greywards!”

“What?” Amelia said.

“Looks like I’ve won the bet!” Lina said as Zelgadis looked like he was about to melt from embarrassment.

“Not so fast! We don’t know where Mr. Gourry has placed!” Amelia said.

“And our second place winner is,” Puella said, and then she stopped to make sure she was reading the card correctly, “Really? Okay then, our second place winner is Touga Kenshin! Which means our first place winner is Gourry Gabriev!”

Gourry’s mouth dropped as the audience seemed to devolve into chaos, with half proclaiming the contest fixed against Touga, and the other half happy with the swordsman. Amelia turned to look at Lina suspiciously as the sorceress cheered Gourry on while Puella walked up to him carrying a tiara placed on a cushion. 

“What?” Lina asked innocently.

“Just what did you do when you left during the girl competition?” Amelia asked as her eyes narrowed.

Lina shrugged, “All I did, Amelia, was go by the judges table and let them know that Lina Inverse was present and very interested in seeing Gourry Gabriev win. That’s all.”

“Oh Miss Lina!” Amelia said as steam blew from her head.

“What, it’s not like I threatened them! All I did was give them the facts.” Lina said, “Oh look, Gourry’s getting crowned!”

“In that case the bet is off if you had to use such means.”

“Oh you’re such a baby!” Lina said, “Oooh, I wonder how much that crown is worth!”

Amelia buried her face in her hands as Puella said, “And now our winner will take the stage!”

Puella Pulchritude started singing as Gourry started posing and flexing. Lina smiled, and dreamed of the 1000 gold coins they would net from this.

* * *

“That was not worth it.” Zelgadis said as he grumpily walked through the streets.

“You’re just jealous that you didn’t win.” Lina said.

“Jealous!” Zelgadis said, “I’m horrified that I won third place! I mean, I shouldn’t have even got into the top ten!”

“Perhaps you’re more beautiful than you think.” Amelia said.

Zelgadis buried his face in his hands, “Don’t make this worse Amelia.”

“Well, aside from having to dress like a woman, I kind of thought it was fun.” Gourry said.

“Well of course you wouldn’t mind be paraded in front of people like an object.” Zelgadis said.

“Oh enough,” Scarlet said, “It’s high time we got back on the road again.”

“And with Gourry’s prize money, we should be comfortable until we reach Kirva!” Lina said.

“And Lina,” Zelgadis said as he pulled her aside, “Just what were you going to spill on me?”

“Oh that?” Lina said with a giggle, “Actually, I didn’t have any dirt. I just figured that everyone has some secret they don’t want others to know about and if I pretended like I knew something it would be enough to scare you into doing it.”

“What!?” Zelgadis cried as he turned beat red, “Y-you mean I embarrassed myself for nothing!?”

“For 1000 gold coins! And however much that tiara will sell for.” Lina said, and then her eyes widened as Zelgadis started chanting, “Uh, Zel? Um, Zel? Um, you aren’t seriously thinking of having a go at me, are you?”

“What do you think?” Zelgadis asked as magic power accumulated in his hands.

Lina laughed nervously, “That I’d better run. So long!”


	17. Quivers! Life is but a Song!

The sky was a brilliant shade of blue and the weather pristine. The day seemed picturesque as huge rocks carved from years of sandstorms caught Lina’s attention with their jagged beauty. Further, even in the desert, there was signs of life. Cactus patches adorned with brilliant red flowers started to dot the landscape along with yellow poppies, breaking the monotony of the sand and rocks.

Amelia started humming to herself as they walked, and Lina smiled to herself. It was one of those days where you just wanted to burst into song and celebrate the beauty of life. Lina blinked, and wondered where that thought came from. Was she channeling Amelia?

“It’s a beautiful day!” Amelia sang happily.

No one so much as batted an eye when Amelia broke out into song. The princess was always making up silly little ditties after all. Strangely, though, Lina was feeling a strange compulsion to join her as Amelia continued, “Monsters get out of my way!”

“Oh please.” Xellos, said, obviously very uncomfortable. Was it her imagination, or was there sweat on his brow?

Lina smiled deviously, and when Amelia once again sang out, “It’s a beautiful day!” Lina joined her, and nearly stumbled when she realized that Gourry was also singing along.

The three looked at each other in surprise as they continued, “Monsters get out of my way!”

They smiled at each other and shrugged as Xellos said indignantly, “Hey now!”

Lina smiled. Well, what was the point of having friends if you couldn’t get silly with them? But then it started to get strange when, somehow without consulting the other two, lyrics formed perfectly in Lina’s head and she sang them effortlessly, “Bane of human existence! And with a little assistance! We shall spite you!”

Okay, so making a song up on the spot may not have been too strange. But what was strange beyond a doubt was that Gourry and Amelia had somehow magically sang the exact same lyrics! And what was more, somehow they had started choreographed dancing. But before Lina could ponder about it too much, the strange really got bizarre when Scarlet and Zelgadis joined in, “Spite you!”

“Zelgadis!” Xellos yelped, “Scarlet! Not you two as well!”

But the five of them continued as they all raised up their arms to the sun, “It’s a beautiful day! Monsters get out of our way! The hammer of justice awaits! So go away before it’s too late! Get out of the way! Don’t spoil our day! Our day!”

Somehow they had ended in a flashy group power pose. They held it for a minute as Xellos stared at them mouth agape. Then they broke away in fits of laughter. Once they had recovered a little, Lina looked at them, “Really, though, what was that?”

“That was neat!” Amelia said, “Our hearts were just so filled with love and justice we just couldn’t contain it!”

“But that doesn’t explain how we knew exactly what to sing.” Zelgadis said.

“Nevermind how to dance without stepping on each other’s toes.” Lina said.

“It was quite out of the ordinary.” Scarlet agreed, “It was like we were in one of those stage acts that people perform at festivals. But those people practice for hours. I’ve never heard of an act coming together like this before.”

“What does it matter?” Gourry asked, “It’s harmless, and it definitely livens things up a bit.”

“So you’ve never heard of a town in the Elmekian Empire where people just break out into song?” Scarlet asked.

Gourry smiled proudly, “Even if I had, it’s not like I would remember it!”

“You forget who you’re talking to.” Lina said as she patted Gourry on the back while Scarlet sighed.

“I’ve just never seen someone take such pride in being an absolutely idiot.”

Some chimes rang from somewhere and Gourry smiled. Xellos’ face contorted in horror as he yelled, “Oh no, Gourry, don’t!”

“Oh, I may not be the brightest!” Gourry sang, “And my bags may be the lightest, because they aren’t filled with books.”

Xellos groaned, “That’s enough!”

But Gourry continued undaunted, “But I’ve got my looks! And I have other talents. Many say I’m gallant! I’m unsurpassed with a sword, but please take me at my word, when I say the thing I am proudest of is…”

Everyone waited with their eyes wide open as Xellos sweated nervously as Gourry continued, “I have a good heart.”

Xellos sweatdropped as the other four started ahhing as the chorus as Gourry launched into a slow ballad as they walked through the desert.

* * *

“Look, there’s a sign for the town up ahead.” Amelia said, and then she smiled, “Menken!”

They descended upon a town that looked as though it had been ripped from a storybook. Pretty little cottages, well-kept and bedecked with flowers, lined the streets filled with people wearing smiles as they went to and fro about their daily business with a spring in their step. Truly, there was something lyrical about the way they moved, as if at any moment they would burst into song.

Suddenly a small girl with big red afro and wearing a red dress whose eyes were strangely vacant spotted the group, “Look! We have guests!”

She was joined by a small girl wearing a school uniform and unkempt brown hair as well as a boy with patchy clothing wearing a top hat. “Welcome, guests, to Menken!” they sang.

The six looked at each other. Xellos seemed about ready to melt into the sand, but the other five smiled as they sang in reply, “We’re very glad to be here!”

Xellos' eyes widened in horror as more people arrived, wearing smiles. A librarian stepped forward and grinned wildly as she sang, “We have books to get your mind thinkin’!”

A bartender stepped forward, “And beer for plenty of drinkin!”

“Plus food that’s delicious as well as nutritious!”

An innkeeper stepped forward as he led them through the town, “And when the day comes to an end, you can certainly depend on a warm, soft bed at the Webber Inn!”

Suddenly the crowd parted and three ballerinas danced down the road. “Make way for Mayor Hotzman!” They sang out as a woman entered the crowd.

Mayor Hotzman was a tall, lovely woman with a crisp soprano voice that commanded attention as she sang,

“Welcome to our town of Menken! Where I’m quite sure you’re thinking. What’s with the singing and dancing? And don’t we ever find it distracting?”

The ballerinas started ahhing angelically as Mayor Hotzman continued,

“It was a hundred years ago we found the Song Dragon. It was hatched in an unattended wagon. It amplified good feelings and channeled them to music. And created a shield over our town to ensure no demon could breech it. And that’s why we spend our days in loving dance and song! And you’re welcome to stay and sing along!”

The townspeople started to hold hands and dance, grabbing each member of the group as they twirled them around in a merry dance. Once again, the group was amazed that they managed to know the dance steps without being taught. Only Xellos held back, unable to bear it.

It ended with a dramatic, “Welcome to Menken!” before the towns people swooped back into their regular lives. The group looked at each other and laughed. With the exception of Xellos, who was looking weak and wobbly as he leaned against a building. “A town that amplifies positive feelings and where people sing and dance all the time! No job is worth this!”

And then he disappeared.

“He’s gone!” Lina said jubilantly. And soon enough, the rest of the group joined in song about how they had rid themselves of his presence.

* * *

Lina leaned back as she patted her stomach. “That was delicious!” she said.

“Hey Lina, are we going to sing about the food?” Gourry asked.

“I’m a little sung out.” Lina said. “This is a nice change of pace, but I think it would get distracting after a while.”

“I like it.” Amelia said, “I think it would be wonderful if people just burst into song and dance throughout the day.”

“You would.” Zelgadis said, but his tone was gentle.

“Is it me, or has the mood taken a turn?” Scarlet asked, and then the rest of them could hear it, too. The sounds of a dirge being played in the streets.

“What’s happening?” Amelia asked, and the group went outside to see townspeople dressed in black singing direfully.

“The song dragon is sick! What shall become of us without him?”

Amelia struck a dramatic pose, “I am a healer! I can help!” She sang, “Take me to him!”

“Our last hope!” the townspeople sang as they led Amelia to the Song Dragon.

Suddenly from the other side of town there was an explosion.

“Attack! Attack! We’re being attacked!” townspeople started to sing.

“But how?” Scarlet asked.

“I guess with the Song Dragon sick he can’t spread his protection over the town.” Lina said as she started to run to where the explosions were ringing.

“Another battle.” Gourry sang.

“Another fight.” Lina continued.

“Striking once again for what’s right!” Zelgadis added.

“No time for worries about safety, we just have to act.” Scarlet said.

“And see why this town is under attack!” They all sang.

Someone laughed evilly, "You have to ask?"

“A monster?” Lina asked.

Someone laughed, and an evil red monster who eerily resembled a trout appeared who grinned as she shot fire out of her hands at the town as organ music piped dramatically, “A town where people and are happy all day? Singing and laughing their cares away? This, I, Morrible, can’t abide. It simply won’t do! No one here will be singing today when I’m through!”

"You evil bastard!" Lina sang, "They were doing no harm! What’s a few songs to you? Why drop this bomb?”

“This town causes us monsters such pain! Now that the Song Dragon is sick, we won’t let this opportunity pass in vain!” Morrible replied.

“Then we’ll fight to our last! We won’t let this town because a thing of the past!” Lina said.

“And if we fight with courage and love in our hearts…” Zelgadis started.

“Hey Zel, that’s not like you!” Gourry interjected.

“Hey, someone has to sing Amelia’s part.”

“What’s important is that we band together.” Lina sang, “To see that this crisis is quickly weathered.”

“Give it your best shot.” The monster said. “Give me all that you’ve got!”

* * *

Amelia raced through the streets as the town cried in mourning while dramatic music sounded around her. At long last she reached the Song Dragon’s Temple and ran in. “I, Amelia, am here to help the Song Dragon!” she sang.

“Then please come to his cabin.” The priests said as they took her down a hallway. Eventually they lead her to a beautiful glass cabin within the temple where a pale blue dragon lay perched on pillows, looking rather sick. 

“I hail from Seyruun,” Amelia sang, “And by the power of justice, I’ll heal you soon!”

* * *

Dramatic music played by an invisible orchestra piped through the town and people surveyed the devastation that had been wrought.

“The fresh rose bushes over there  
Destroyed by that monster without care  
Were planted by my grandmama!”

“Our library, now in flames, contained volumes  
Raided from rare and ancient tombs  
Were irreplaceable!”

Still others sang about their fear of what would happen to their town.

“Our dragon is ill  
And our town under attack  
And try what we will  
It will never be the way it was way back!”

Meanwhile, Morrible was kicking the group’s butts. Considering she had attacked a defenseless town, and that she looked like a stupid trout, Lina had made the mistake of treating her with the kiddie gloves. But a few more destroyed buildings later and a near brush with death, Lina was reconsidering her strategy.

“What are we going to do?” Gourry asked as he looked to Lina.

Lina rolled her sleeves up and gritted, “It’s time to take her down!”

“But she’s so powerful!” Scarlet protested.

Lina gritted, “Now you get cold feet? We can’t have that! I didn’t become a monster slayer by harboring doubts!”

Gourry smiled as he grabbed his sword, “Fight to win?”

“Exactly!” Lina said, and then she burst into song, “We fight to win!”

“Even when we’re fighting against odds that are grim!” Gourry sang.

“Oh not this again!” Morrible sang, “How can you sing so happy when everyone around you is in pain?”

“Because we believe in ourselves, and we will take you down!” Lina sang.

“You know, I think it’s overdue for your ego to cause you to drown!” she replied as she gathered a huge ball of energy in her hands.

Lina started singing a chant as Scarlet and Zelgadis moved ahead with shield spells.

* * *

“I am the Song Dragon, but I’ve lost my song.” The Song Dragon sang morbidly with tears in his eyes, “For the lady dragon I loved decided it was time to move along.”

“I see you’re lonely.” Amelia sang, “And I understand! For I can’t say my love life is really that grand!”

A harp strummed from somewhere as the Song Dragon said, “But surely a lady as pretty as you would have no trouble finding a house load of beaus!”

“Oh, beaus I can find,” Amelia admitted, “But they tend to be unkind. And the man my heart lies with, is so ashamed of his pith, that he can’t return my affections, so with those predilections, like you, I am alone.”

Violins started to play as the Song Dragon sighed, “But how do you bear it?”

Amelia smiled wistfully, “You just can’t let it hold you back one wit.”

“Huh?” The Song Dragon asked.

“You take some time to cry, then you move forward with nary a sigh! And seize the beautiful day, and think of the good things that will come your way!”

“But with no lover…”

“It doesn’t mean you can’t share the world with another!” Amelia interjected. “And since you’re feeling blue, I shall share with you…” Amelia paused dramatically and smiled, “My happy song!”

Suddenly the music changed as it picked up the beat and lights started to flare from somewhere. Soon, the Song Dragon was smiling right with Amelia.

* * *

“Darkness beyond twilight…” Lina sang as beside her Gourry was fighting some lesser demons.

Morrible grinned, “Hit me with your best shot!”

“We sure don’t think this is going to be pretty.” Scarlet sang.

“Crimson beyond blood that flows….”

“Look at me, I don’t even have to chant!” Morrible sang as she lobbed a powerful spell at them.

“Bastard, we won’t let you do this, we can’t!” Zelgadis yelled as he managed to get a shield up just in time.

“Look, I have two hands!” Morrible sang again as she cavalierly made to destroy a house to their west. 

Gourry managed to swoop in and cut the spell with his sword. “We will do what we can to protect these lands!” he sang.

“Buried in the stream of time…”

“Oh, you humans!” Morrible taunted, “And your foolhardy hope!”

“We’re really tired of your bad ass monster trope!” Scarlet sang.

“What the hell does that mean?” Zelgadis asked.

“Oh, I don’t know, but it rhymed!”

“Is where your power grows…”

Morrible turned to attack the town again and this time Scarlet got in the way with a shield spell, “You know it’s only a matter of time until you fail!”

“We will fight you, whatever travails!” they all sang.

“I pledge myself to conqueror…”

* * *

Amelia clasped her hands to her face, “When times are grey! And life is sad! I try to remember it’s not so bad!” She then threw her arms wide as if she was about to embrace someone, “There are so many good things in this world! Too many to list! Like flowers! And ice cream! And sweet apple crisp!”

The Song Dragon started to stir, “Oh, I see! There’s fresh air and there’s trees, and clear skies and the cool breeze! Sure a day may be bad, but I shouldn’t be so sad!”

“Because there’s so many reasons to be happy!” Amelia sang as she clasped her arm around the Song Dragon.

The music trilled, and they started dancing together as they continued to sing, and soon, the Song Dragon’s sadness was forgotten.

* * *

“All the foes who stand…”

Lina cried out suddenly, but it was not with terror. The others cried out as well, and in happiness. The happiness was so intense Lina felt tears well in her eyes. “It’s going to be alright.” She sang.

Morrible screamed, “The joy!”

And then she disappeared.

“She’s gone!” the town cried.

“B-but I didn’t get to do my Dragon Slave!” Lina said.

Gourry patted her on the shoulder, “Save it for another day?”

“A perfectly spell go to waste! No way I can abide that! It’s in bad taste!”

“Oh enough with that nonsense!” Scarlet sang, “This whole town is experiencing a renaissance!”

And Scarlet spread her arm out to where the townspeople were already happily rebuilding. Naturally they somehow managed to sing and dance as they wheeled wheelbarrows and laid bricks.

“And now we can rebuild! We can be stronger! Better! More resilient! And from this day forth we’ll be more vigilant!”

Lina let out a deep breath and decided to let it go. The happiness was just too contagious. She laughed a little, “Fine, but guys, we really have to get out of this town!”

* * *

“I’m kind of sad to have to leave.” Amelia said as she walked away with the group.

“Maybe when this is all over we can stop by again.” Lina said.

Scarlet groaned, “Do that on your own time. I’m perfectly happy to not have my words come out in rhyme.” Scarlet made a face as she realized what she’d done, “Oh really! How long until this spell fades away? I certainly can’t be singing all the time every day!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, I hope this one wasn't too terrible. I love, love, love Broadway and musicals. This was also the only idea for a humor chapter I remember brainstorming with my sister, and it was also where we decided Xellos would depart from the group because he couldn't stand the singing. I can't recall if we had any ideas for other humor chapters or not, but this was the only one that stuck. Unfortunately, I am no poet or songwriter, much as I love singing and music, so...my apologies. Anyway, next week the main story resumes once again, and I am glad to be done with these humor chapters!


	18. Rest at Last! We've Made it to Kirva!

Five figures stood on a cliff overlooking a gigantic city. Precariously close to the edge of the cliff, Lina and Gourry stood side by side, while Amelia and Zelgadis sat to either side of them with Scarlet behind them, the wind blowing their capes and hair in the breeze. "So this is Kirva." Lina said.

Gourry nodded solemnly, "Sure is. Just as I remembered it."

Scarlet smiled, "I find that hard to believe."

Gourry's eyes narrowed, and for once, he didn’t take the ribbing about his intelligence with his famous good humor, "I may not remember everything, but I do remember my home town. I lived there for seventeen years, you know."

Lina looked at the swordsman, concerned. Coming home again must have really had an ill effect on him. She wondered just exactly what his family was like. Gingerly she put her hand on his shoulder. "Everything all right, Gourry?" she asked.

Gourry smiled reassuringly as the grumpiness melted away, "Of course, why wouldn't it be?"

But Lina couldn’t help but be worried. She was used to depending on Gourry’s good humor, no matter what. But that it was fraying made it was evident he was under a lot of strain and working hard not to show it. Which made Lina wonder just how much of a risk it was to bring him back here. But still, Gourry was adamant that he wasn’t leaving. 

Amelia sighed suddenly, "Kirva is just so beautiful," she said, "The people there must surely be as kind and gentle as Mr. Gourry."

"You haven't met certain members of my family yet, Amelia." Gourry said dryly, "Trust me, there's nothing kind and gentle about my brother."

"Surely you must know by now not to judge things by appearances, Amelia." Zelgadis berated.

"Yes, but, a beautiful city means a prideful people, people who love their town. And people who love their town equates to a good and just ruler who would not stand for the unjust, so surely there must be a lot of good people in Kirva."

"Just remember this," Gourry said, "Kirva is filled with two types of people. Those who fight for a cause, and those who fight for themselves." He frowned suddenly, "My grandmother told me that. It never really hit me though until Father died and the family was divided…" his voice trailed off.

Lina looked up again, surprised. She was seeing a new dimension to her longtime companion never brought to surface before. Heck, even if the spell turned out to be useless seeing this new side of Gourry would be worth it. She looked back out over Kirva, lost in thought. Funny, she had never really given much thought to the swordsman's past before. She'd always just assumed that he didn't remember it. And to be honest, if he had told her that he simply came out of nowhere to help her one day it wouldn’t have been a big stretch to believe it. She started wondering what type of city gave rise to such a gentle, kind, patient and chivalrous man, who was also a brilliant and deadly swordsman with the sharpest of instincts and the dullest of wits.

She smiled to herself. Seems the simple swordsman was actually a man of contradictions, much more complex than anyone would have first assumed. Lina tried not to stare at him too intently, and she resisted the urge to take him somewhere and whittle his resolve until he spilled all of the details on his mysterious past. She'd never really thought of Gourry as mysterious before, but suddenly he seemed even more mysterious than Zelgadis. Zelgadis wore his air of mystery, though. Gourry, on the other hand, was so simple seeming it was completely missed. In the back of her mind, Lina wondered if it was intentional on Gourry's part, or if it were just a by-product of his stupidity.

_Probably both,_ she thought to herself.

"Kirva has such a beautiful palace," Amelia said as she stared at the gigantic castle made from bricks of black sand and obsidian, "You don't see much black at Seyruun, it wouldn't be fitting in the White Magic Capital, but Kirva proves that black can be a color of beauty as well."

"That's Gabriev Castle," Gourry said, his voice low, "You all can do what you want, but I'm staying away from it. Too many members of my family want me dead, and I don't want to kill any of them."

This time, all turned to the swordsman in surprise. "Gabriev Castle?" Lina repeated.

Gourry frowned, confused, "Yeah, my father was the Duke of Kirva."

Everyone facefaulted, "You're of noble blood?" Lina asked.

Gourry still looked confused, "Wasn't it obvious? I mean there was the whole inheritance and power issue, and you don't think that the descendants of the Swordsmen of Light…"

Lina and Zelgadis slapped themselves on the forehead, "Oh, how could I have missed that?" Lina groaned, "Of course you're of noble blood, it wouldn't make sense for you not to be, it just never occurred to me before."

"Yeah," Amelia said, "Mr. Gourry certainly doesn't seem like a nobleman."

Gourry wasn't sure how to take that, so he shrugged noncommittally.

"How could I have been so stupid?" Zelgadis asked, "It’s so obvious now!"

Lina chuckled to herself, "Well, even if this spell does prove to be completely useless, I must say I've learned a lot about those I travel with. So, tell me Gourry…"

Gourry sweatdropped as Lina pointed a finger at him, “Just how much is this dukedom worth? I mean, you must have walked away from a fortune when you left! And just think of all the things that can be done with that money…”

“Not really,” Gourry said, “Father kinda ran things to the ground between gambling and funding various wars.”

Lina’s jaw dropped as her dreams evaporated while Amelia nodded as she folded her arms across her chest, “You see it all the time, nobles gambling away their estates. Perhaps your family no longer resides in Gabriev Castle.”

Gourry lit up at the unexpected thought, “Perhaps. Somehow, though, I think my brother would have been cunning enough to hold on to it.”

"Well I don't know about you," Zelgadis said, "But I'd like to get to the library before it closes. From what Gourry has said, the sooner we're out of Kirva the better, not to mention that the sooner Lina finds out about this spell the better, especially if it can be mastered. We just might need it in case Xellos isn't really finished with us yet."

"He's right!" Amelia said, taking off down the road, "Let's get going. The sooner we're done at the library, the sooner we can eat!"

“You and your food.” Scarlet mumbled, but she followed Amelia nonetheless. 

"Alright!" Lina and Gourry said simultaneously. Lina continued on after Zelgadis, Scarlet and Amelia and stopped when she realized Gourry wasn't following her. She turned, and saw he had gone back to looking over the cliff face. "Gourry, are you sure everything is okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said.

She took a few steps towards him, "You can stay here, if you'd like. We could always have a picnic when we're done at the library. It’s not like you have anything to do there anyway…"

"I'll be alright. Despite its calm appearance Kirva can be a nasty place. I wouldn't want you getting hurt. It’s just…"

"Just what, Gourry?"

"It’s just…I don't remember the way back to the library!" he said.

"Wha-at?"

"I was thinking, what with me being from Elmekia and all, you would expect me to lead you to the library, but I can't remember where it is. I never really went there much you see…"

Lina chuckled and put her hand on his arm, "Trust me, Gourry, your secret is safe with me."

He smiled, "Thank you, Lina."

"No problem! No come on, Kirva isn't getting any closer and I do want to get to an inn before all the beautiful food is gone…"

* * *

Kirva was a darkly beautiful city. Unlike a lot of towns in the Elmekian Empire which had houses made from brown mud, the sand in Kirva was black, lending a beauty to the houses that otherwise would have seemed plain. And every so often the mud bricks would be augmented by some obsidian accessories, obviously a prized material in these parts. Everywhere street vendors sold their goods with more…force than Lina had seen anywhere else. Everyone, it seemed, carried a sword at his or her belt, and congregations of warriors met at odd street corners, drinking mugs of ale with conversation brimming with bawdiness. It was almost like stepping into a whole new world, not to mention a surreal one. _And this was where Gourry was raised?_ Lina asked herself.

Lina had managed to unobtrusively get directions to the library without the others realizing. Luckily for Gourry's sake, the route to the library took them nowhere near Gabriev Castle. The five walked in awed silence as they continued to gaze at the strange city where it seemed everyone was a warrior. No wonder Gourry was such a good swordsman. Someone with as little common sense as he had would need the advantage of skill to be just a bit above the rest to survive in a place where the slightest insult could very well provoke a fight with a fully trained swordsman.

"It’s like a city of warriors." Lina murmured to herself.

Gourry looked down as her and smiled, "It is! In most places in the Elmekian Empire, but Kirva especially, children are taught swordplay practically before they can walk! It's all to protect the Empire and all, you know."

"I guess being so close to the desert of destruction it would be prudent." Lina said.

"Yeah, we do have our share of demon attacks," Gourry replied. “But then there’s also paranoia. It runs amok here.”

"It often does in empires." Scarlet said matter-of-factly. “No offense.”

"It's alright, just don't say that too loud. Heh, people here practically beg for a chance to show off their skills with a sword."

"Hmmm, we might want to keep Lina under lock and chain, what with her temper and all." Scarlet quipped.

"Hey! Say stuff like that and…" Lina started, but was cut off by Gourry’s sudden exclamation of, "Whoa,"

Lina turned to him. All the color seemed to have drained from his face, his eyes fixated on a certain spot before him. Lina followed his gaze to see a man who…wait a minute…Gourry? No, this man wasn't Gourry. Instead of wearing his golden hair long, all the way down his back, his was cut back in a cold, sleek style. That, and the look in his sapphire eyes was not sweet and gentle, but rather cold and foreboding. Lina had a sinking feeling in her stomach as she realized that he must be Gourry's twin brother.

Gourry recovered, shaking his head and grinning to himself, "I guess this was just inevitable."

Gourry's brother walked right up to him, the look of disdain clear on his face, "So, after ten years of running like a coward you make it back here, Gourry."

"I did what I had to do, Gunther. I got the sword safely out of reach and I saved the family." Gourry replied.

"G-Gunther?" Amelia asked.

"Gourry and Gunther?" Zelgadis said, thoughtfully.

"Oh, what kind of parents would name their children Gourry and Gunther?" Lina asked.

“Says the woman with a sister named Luna…” Scarlet said as her voice trailed off and her eyes widened, “I’ll be right back.”

“Miss Scarlet?” Amelia asked.

But Scarlet took off, and the rest of them were too distracted by Gunther’s harshly worded question to Gourry to follow her. "Where is the sword, Gourry?"

"It's where it belongs, I made sure of it. I made sure you would never get it."

Gunther's eyes narrowed, "You bastard! And I suppose now you're here to take the Dukedom from me."

Gourry shook his head, "No, that's not why I'm here. I'm here to help my friends, and that is all."

Gunther unsheathed his sword, "You lie!"

Quicker than one could see, Gourry had his sword out and ready, his voice low and deadly serious, "Believe that if you want. It certainly doesn't change my mission."

Lina sighed, stepping in between them, glaring pointedly at Gunther, "Now listen, Gunther, I'm on a mission to save the world for all I know, and your brother here is simply coming with me as my protector. Right now, I simply don't have time for him to be getting into swordfights and hurting the Duke of Kirva or whatever, right now I simply need to get on with my mission, so I would appreciate it if you laid off and got out of our way."

"Um, Lina, that wasn't a good idea." Gourry said, sweatdropping.

Gunther looked at her, raising an eyebrow, "Who's this? Why, Gourry, I never thought of you as a pedophile."

"Wha-at?" all four of the group said, facefaulting.

"I mean, honestly, she looks to be no more than twelve! I mean, look at her, she's a bean pole, not to mention short and flat and…"

"I'm nineteen!" Lina growled, "And no one insults Lina Inverse like that and gets away with it!"

Gourry looked up at Gunther, "That wasn't a good idea, Gunth."

"FIREBALL!" Lina cried, hitting Gunther full on, leaving him all black and burnt to a crisp.

"Lina?" Gunther stuttered, "Lina Inverse? The Flat Chester Terror?"

"Oh, you are asking for it, buddy!" Lina said, readying her arms again when suddenly Gourry picked her up, "What? Hey, Gourry, put me down, no one insults me like that and gets away with it, come on!"

"Well, like you said, Lina, we are pressed for time, and I don't really want to spend all day dealing with guys like him." Gourry said as he continued on the way they were going (which he hoped was the way to the library) with a befuddled Zelgadis and Amelia in tow.

* * *

Scarlet raced through the streets, desperate to find the woman she had caught a glimpse of. But she had vanished as suddenly as she had appeared, and for a moment Scarlet feared that she wouldn’t find her, or worse, that she had imagined her, and that she had took off on a wild goose chase through a strange and dangerous city she knew little about. But before she could worry too much about finding the others again, Scarlet came to a clearing and saw her sitting on a rock.

She was tall and of an average build, with long, flowing red hair and dark eyes. She wore a beige traveling dress and a look of mournful sorrow, which pained Scarlet to see. Scarlet took a breath when she saw her, and did her best to reign in her anxiety, even as she wondered why she was so anxious. Violet was her own sister.

“I’m so glad you’re here.” Scarlet said as she ran towards her, arms outstretched.

But Violet pulled away as she looked at Scarlet in disapproval. “Please tell me it isn’t true.”

Scarlet’s stomach sank, “What do you mean?”

“Sherra sent me to talk some sense into you!”

“Sis, listen to me. Sherra is a monster! She’s a subordinate of Dynast Grausherra, I saw it with my own eyes!”

“Lies!” Violet yelled, “How dare you slander the General!”

“Dynast Grausherra’s General!” Scarlet maintained. “I know Sherra favored you and that you owe her a lot…”

“As do you.” Violet reminded her, “We wouldn’t have had the money to send you to school if it wasn’t for her.”

Scarlet nodded, “That is true. But that does not negate the fact that Sherra has been manipulating us! Playing us!”

Violet folded her arms across her chest, “I begged Sherra for a chance to speak with you. I deduced that Lina Inverse must have put you under a spell. However, I detect no trace of one. I must say I’m disappointed in you, Scarlet. I thought you were raised better than to be deceived by the lies of Lina Inverse.”

“Lina is many things, and granted, a liar is one of them.” Scarlet conceded, “But don’t think for one second that she doesn’t fight for the world. And mark my words, the world is in peril.”

“Oh, the world is in peril.” Violet agreed, “Because weaklings like you are led astray by bullies like Lina. You do remember what one does with diseased branches?”

Scarlet paled, “Sis…”

“The must be pruned before they destroy the family tree.”

“BALUS WALL!” Scarlet cried.

* * *

After a while Gourry put Lina down. She glared at him as she brushed herself off with as much dignity as she could muster. "So that's your brother, huh?" she finally said.

Gourry nodded.

"Wow," Amelia said, "He sure looked a lot like you, Mr. Gourry, but he doesn't act like you at all."

"That's Gunther." Gourry said, his voice neutral.

"I think I can see why you wouldn't want someone like him getting the Sword of Light, though." Amelia said, "With that level of paranoia it would lead to serious injustice."

"Agreed." Zelgadis added.

They walked in silence for a while and then Gourry walked up to Lina, "Lina, about stepping into the sword fight between Gunther and myself."

"Yes?" Lina asked.

"Next time, please don't. Disrupting a swordfight is one of the most heinous of acts in Kirva. Sword fighting is a matter of honor, you see. And having a swordfight disrupted, well, let's just say that it looks bad."

"Oh," Lina said, feeling slightly abashed. She should have realized that ahead of time, but she'd been so focused on getting to the library, "I'll keep that in mind."

Gourry smiled, "Thanks, Lina."

* * *

Hands down, Violet was the more skilled sorceress, and Scarlet had never forgotten it. Worse, Violet was out for blood, and Scarlet was desperate to merely subdue. And at the moment, Scarlet could not see how to do so. Her brain has frozen. Her own sister wanted to kill her. She had known that it would be difficult to convince Violet about the truth about Sherra, but she hadn’t expected this! It was all she could do to maintain a shield against her sister’s attack. Formulating a plan was out of the question.

“DIL BRAND!” Lina cried, and Violet barely jumped out of the way as Lina and the others crashed the fight. “Care to fill me in on what’s happening?”

Violet glared at Lina with pure loathing, “So you’re the one who turned my sister against Sherra!”

“Sister?” Lina asked, “I see. Well, in that case, guilty as charged.”

“Miss Lina!” Amelia said.

“Well, it’s the truth.” Lina said, “It’s leaving out the fact that Sherra is a monster, but…”

“None of your lies!” Violet snapped.

“You really need to give it a rest!” Lina said.

“Your time is coming, Lina Inverse!” Violet said, “Soon you will pay for your wickedness!”

Lina folded her arms across her chest, “But let me guess, you’re outgunned, so for now you’ll retreat.”

Violet’s eye twitched, “RAY WING!”

“Don’t let her get away!” Scarlet cried.

Lina shook her head, “We’ve got enough on our plates without having to care for a prisoner. Let her go.”

“But…” Scarlet protested.

Lina put a hand on her arm, “There will be another time. A more opportune time. Come on. Let’s get to the library. We need to be prepared for next time.”

Scarlet’s protest died in her throat. She nodded, and did her best to hide how devastated she was. Gourry came up and put a hand on her arm as he said, “Siblings.”

Well, at least one person in the group got what she was going through.

* * *

It was very dark by the time the group got back to the inn. Scarlet went to bed immediately, but the rest of the group consumed vast amounts of food, which for once seemed to be the norm rather than the exception in Kirva, heck, there were people there who made Lina Inverse look to be anorexic, they sat back and explained what they had found at the library.

"Well, I found the location of the spell all right." Lina said, "First thing tomorrow we set off to find it and then we get out of here."

"The sooner, the better. I don't trust Gunther not to leave us alone what with Gourry being with us and the fireballing Lina dished out on him today." Zelgadis said, slightly grumpy because they didn't serve coffee in Kirva. “Coffee was for wusses,” they said, laying down a mug of ale in front of him instead. "Ale is for barbarians." Zelgadis murmured, but drank it up anyway.

Lina nodded, "All right then. Next stop, Ujek Temple!"


	19. Senseless and Spentless! The Spell's Dead End!

The sun had not yet finished rising when the group of five stole across the sleeping city, their minds focused on reaching the Temple of Ujek as quickly as possible. No one spoke, as if in fear that speaking would bring attention to them, and none felt like dealing with a militia of Duke Gunther's men at the moment. Least of all Gourry. Gourry did not want to kill his former comrades and friends, and he would not put it past Gunther to send them to fight him.

No one relaxed more than Gourry when they made it at last to the outskirts of the town. Nothing remotely recognizable as a temple was in sight, but they all knew better than to rely on mere eyesight. All eyes were focused on Lina as they watched to see what nifty little trick she would do this time to bring the ancient temple to surface. Gourry frowned suddenly as he took in his surroundings. "That's funny." He said.

"What?" Zelgadis asked.

"Well, when I was a kid this place was forbidden for us to play at. Apparently a lot of people kept running into something one day, but no one could tell what. People assumed it was some evil spirit, and Kirvians generally stay away from here."

"They're no spirits here," Lina said, walking up with her hand extended before her until it came in contact with something solid. She traced her hand along the invisible surface until she found the handhold she was looking for and grabbed onto it. Blue light shone as she started chanting in some long lost forgotten language, and the light changed to lightning, and where once there had been nothing, a crumbling grey temple appeared.

"Huh?" Amelia said, "But where…"

"It was there all along," Lina said, "It was simply hidden behind a cloaking device to keep it hidden from human eyes. Once the rumors of spirits haunting this place developed, it served as an effective deterrent for those who might try to wander here, keeping Sorcerer Keran's spell safe for about a millennia." She smiled greedily, "And now, it will be mine! Come on, let's go!"

"Alright!" Gourry said, following her as she darted up the steps. Zelgadis and Amelia exchanged a glance, and then headed off after them with Scarlet closing in on the rear.

Lina kicked open the door to the temple with her usual finesse and looked to her right and then to her left before casting a light spell. Though the temple looked old, ugly and draft from the outside, it was positively resplendent on the inside. Lina's ruby eyes expanded in size as she took in the riches surrounding her. The gold plated walls, the diamond rimmed mirrors, the ceiling, patterned in emeralds, rubies and sapphires. "Even if the spell is worthless, all this treasure will have made it more than worth it!" Lina said, her voice brimming with excitement and satisfaction as she rubbed her hands together in pleasure.

"I don't know, Lina, this smells of a trap to me." Gourry said, scratching his head.

"I have to agree," Zelgadis said. "For one thing, all this treasure lying carelessly about screams of a diversion tactic."

"Huh?" Lina said, and then shrugged, "Then we'll continue on to find the spell now and pick up the jewels on the way back. No way I'm not going to make a bit of a profit out of this, and we have been running low on funds as of late."

"You never change, Miss Lina." Amelia said as they set off down the hallway.

Lina shrugged, "Why mess with perfection?"

Amelia nearly facefaulted, and muttered something under her breath about Lina being far from perfection. Lina turned, "What did you say?"

Amelia's eyes widened, "Umm, just that there's a rather large army of skeletons behind you."

Lina spun around, and smiled, "I was expecting something like this. Well, then," she said, readying a fireball, "Bring it on. FIREBALL!"

Gourry unsheathed his sword. He brought it down on the skeleton nearest to him, which crumbled into a million pieces before moving on to another. To his right Scarlet started lobbing various spells at the skeletons.

"ASTRAL VINE!" Zelgadis yelled as he drew his own sword and cleaved the nearest skeleton in two. 

"ELMEKIA LANCE!" Amelia yelled, hitting several dead on, but yet, having no effect. "It can't be!" she whispered.

Suddenly, they all stopped their attacks as they watched incredulously as the fractured bones of the fallen skeletons grew into more even more skeletons. "Impossible!" Zel cried. 

“S-so even if we knock one down, five more will sprout out in its place?” Amelia cried in dismay.

Lina snarled, “Keran was too smart for our own good!”

Slowly, the skeletons forced the group to cluster in the middle of a sea of skeletons. Zelgadis sheathed his sword. Sword fighting was the worse way to fight these creatures. "RA TILT!" he yelled, and snarled as the strongest astral plane spell in existence had no effect. Gourry had sheathed his sword and had resorted to using his bare fists to keep the skeletons at bay.

Lina ran through her list of spells and she fought them off with her hands. Would the skeletons rise from their ashes should she hit them with a Fireball? A Flare Arrow was definitely out, as the resultant fall would create new skeletons. And spirit spells seemed to have no effect, dammit, what could she use?

"Everyone, look for a controller!" Scarlet cried.

"What?" Amelia asked.

"Listen, back in Tomb Raiding 101 we learned that if there’s a mass of beings that don’t have brains to look for a controller.”

“Tomb Raiding 101!?” Lina cried, “What the…”

“Look, not all of us gained our smarts on the streets.” Scarlet said.

“Hey, I happen to be a graduate of the Sorcerer’s Guild! The youngest member ever!” Lina corrected.

“If you ask me I think you’re jealous that Scarlet knows something you don’t.” Amelia said.

“Wait a minute!”

"So what Scarlet’s saying," Zelgadis cut in as he battled the skeletons, "Is that all of these skeletons are puppets, and that somewhere the puppet master is hiding."

"Is there any way to use a spell to find the puppet master?" Amelia asked.

"Now there's an idea," Lina said, but before she could say any more the press of skeletons became greater, “Dammit, I’m so busy fighting them off I can’t think!”

Amelia suddenly floated above the rest of the group shouting, "HOLY BLESS!"

"Amelia?" Lina asked.

"Well," Amelia said as she came back to the ground, "I figured that if the puppet master was a low-level astral being my Holy Bless spell would be able to reach him wherever he was and get him, and as my other spells are more or less useless anyways it wouldn't really matter if I couldn't cast anymore spells for the rest of the day." She frowned as she saw that the tide of skeletons had not stopped coming, "Didn't look like it worked, though." She said sadly.

"Still," Zelgadis said, "It was a nice try."

Lina chuckled suddenly to herself. No, the Holy Bless spell didn't work, but…

She grabbed Gourry suddenly, "RAY WING!" she cried.

"Huh?" Zelgadis asked, "Oh!" he grabbed Amelia and took off after them.

“Not a bad idea, getting to higher ground.” Scarlet said as she cast her own Ray Wing.

"What now, Lina?" Zelgadis asked, "We've managed to escape the skeletons, but we can't very well land and search for the spell in this."

"I know, I know!" Lina said as she looked down at the expressionless skeletons who were just waiting for Lina, Zelgadis and Scarlet to tire of Ray Winging and come down. "Okay, Scarlet, since this is your territory, what should we look for with a controller?”

“It could be anything!” Scarlet said, “Look for one that looks…I don't know, different somehow. Look for one that the others seem to be protecting."

One of the skeletons broke off his arm suddenly, and hurled it at Lina and Gourry. "Huh?" they both managed as Lina barely managed to get out of the bone's way. It fell harmlessly to the ground and grew into a new skeleton. Lina nearly lost her hold on Gourry, causing him to grab awkwardly at her and noticeably paw at her breasts.

"Miss Lina! Mr. Gourry! Not now!" Amelia admonished with a wink.

Lina blushed furiously as she yelled, “Really, that’s what you’re thinking about now when we’re up to our elbows in skeletons?”

“And until we're safely on the ground again, it’s staying where it is!" Gourry replied, the fear of falling evident in his voice.

But the conversation ended as more skeletons started breaking off their arms and hurling them at the group. Scarlet, Zel and Lina dodged this way and that, cursing Sorcerer Keran and his little traps under their breaths. Amelia and Gourry just held on for dear life as they tried to help Zel and Lina, who were too busy dodging, to find the puppet master.

"We might as well just start throwing off random spirit spells and hope we get lucky!" Zelgadis spat.

"Actually, Zel, that's not such a bad idea, "ELMEKIA LANCE!" Lina said.

Zelgadis sighed, and muttered something about how he was being sarcastic before he cast, "RA TILT!"

Lina dodged another bone and nearly crashed into a wall which held one of the jeweled mirrors. It was then that she noticed that wherever there was a mirror, they were also numerous skeletons congregated around it. 

_That's funny,_ she thought, _they don't congregate around other objects. Wait a minute…could it be?_

"FIREBALL!" she yelled, aiming for the mirror. More skeletons ran to protect it, and Lina fired another one. The first one cleared the path for the next fireball, hitting the mirror, which it absorbed. Lina frowned, "Huh?" and then smiled, "Gourry, your sword!" she said. 

Gourry grinned, "I got you, Lina!" he said as he bravely spared a free hand to grab his sword and held it in front of him as Lina flew them to the mirror. He brought his sword down upon the mirror, causing it to shatter spectacularly into millions of pieces. All around them, many of the skeletons fell.

"Zel, Scarlet, the mirrors!" Lina yelled, "I don't know how, but the mirrors seem to be the puppet master here!"

"The mirrors?" Zel replied as Scarlet said, “Got it!”

"RA TILT!" Zelgadis cried. Even though the Ra Tilt didn't deal any physical damage, the mirror shattered as his spell hit it. Zelgadis shook his head in amazement. The things you see when you hang out with such a weird bunch…

“ELMEKIA LANCE!” Scarlet said as she targeted another mirror and effectively destroyed it.

Lina and Gourry quickly dispersed of the other two mirrors, and all of the skeletons slumped forward, dead. Lina, Gourry, Zelgadis, Amelia and Scarlet gratefully landed, careful not to trip over the bones lying about everywhere. "Ah, victory!" Amelia said, flashing the sign.

"What kind of being must have lived in those mirrors?" Zelgadis wondered.

"Honestly, Zel, I have no idea but…what? No, it can't be! The jewels!" Lina said.

Sure enough, the gold and the jewels were melting. Zelgadis smirked, "Looks like the beings living in the mirrors were some sort of shape shifters. I guess that the gold and the jewels were just some strange illusion they put on."

Lina growled, "If they weren't already dead I'd kill them!" she sighed, "Oh well, no use complaining about it, now to find that spell!"

* * *

“Are you okay Miss Scarlet?” Amelia asked as she took a seat beside her while Lina and Zelgadis read through dusty manuscripts as Gourry took a nap. Typically, Scarlet would be immaculately recording everything and doing some manuscript reading of her own. But today she was staring at a bookshelf, looking lost.

Scarlet smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes, “Just brooding. It’s a bad habit I should stop.”

“Are you worried about your sister?” Amelia asked.

“Is it so surprising?” Scarlet asked.

“That you would be worried, no.” Amelia said, “But I don’t see how your sister could think that Sherra is a good person.”

Scarlet smiled tiredly, “You don’t understand what it was like in our town. Sherra kept us safe from demons. Or so we thought. Likely she was arranging the attacks and swooping in just in the nick of time to make us feel indebted to her. She was our town’s hero. None of us suspected her. I mean, you’ve been fooled by a monster before, haven’t you?”

“Yes,” Amelia admitted, “But I always knew Mr. Xellos was up to no good!”

“It wasn’t so with Sherra. “My sister had retrieved a sword name Dulgofa from a stone, and Sherra took my family under her arm. She mentored Violet, and who knows what lies she fed her. I know Violet believes that Sherra has been grooming her to be the world’s savior. It was easier for me to accept it was all a lie, I mean, what was I? The kid sister of the world’s savior. Not terribly flattering, something easy to let go of really. But for Violet, to admit that Sherra was lying to her, she’d also have to come to grips with the fact that her coveted place in the universe is a fabrication as well.”

Amelia’s brow furrowed, “But why would Sherra do that?”

“I’ve been wondering about that myself.” Scarlet said as she folded her arms across her chest. “Everyone else who had touched Dulgofa had turned into a demo, but when Violet did it she remained human. So it stands to reason that she’s so pure…”

"At last!" Lina yelled causing Amelia and Scarlet to jump, "I've found it! The spell is mine!"

Everyone got up and crowded around her, "What does it say, Miss Lina?" Amelia asked.

"Huh?" Lina said, as she returned her attention to the journal, her eyes widening, "No, it can't be!"

"What?" Zelgadis asked.

Lina slumped forward, "A…a dead end..."

"Huh?" they all asked.

Lina sighed, "According to Keran, he used the Jewel of Ahapta to combine the magical energies of white, black and shamanist magic, but it proved to be too much energy for a human to handle. In the end, he ended up destroying Ullis City. Rather than merely killing the inhabitants of Ullis City, however, the spell caused them to be trapped between our plane and the astral plane, causing it to be a city of the undead."

"So that explains what happened there so long ago," Zelgadis said.

"After Ullis City was destroyed, Keran fled, dividing the spell into many temples, hoping to kill anyone foolish enough to seek it out in one of the temples. He left the jewel in the desk, hoping that if someone might happen to find it, they would have the good wisdom to destroy it, if it could be destroyed. Keran tried, with no success." Lina said as she opened the desk drawer and pulled out a jewel that looked much like the Jewel of Rajah except for the fact that it was black.

"The Jewel of Ahapii." Gourry whispered. No one bothered to correct him.

"What are you going to do with it, Miss Lina?" Amelia asked.

"Well, the jewel can't be destroyed by conventional means. Keran tried and failed. For now, I'll just keep it so that way no one else can get their hands on it and misuse it. Meanwhile, I'll try and find a way to destroy it." Lina said.

"But will you really not use the jewel, Lina?" Gourry asked.

"Honestly, you should have a little more faith in me. I'm bad, but I know where to draw the line. Now come on, it's getting late and my stomach's not getting any smaller!"

* * *

Sherra scowled as she glared at the ugly brown scab that they had cut into the earth and the multitude of trolls and lesser demons currently milling through it, shifting through rock and dirt, and searching. She folded her arms across her chest and did everything she could to radiate her displeasure. The faster they found it, the sooner she could leave and attend to more dignified matters. 

“Enjoying your new duties, Sherra?” Xellos asked as he materialized beside her.

Sherra seethed, “Don’t you have other things to do?”

Xellos shrugged, “This is one of my tasks. Checking on how we are progressing here. Making sure you’re not blowing it again.”

Sherra flushed, “I don’t answer to you!”

“You know, you could have easily killed Lina Inverse if you hadn’t left to ask about your name…”

“Shut up!” Sherra barked, “Besides, you’ve had plenty of opportunities. You could never pull it off.”

Xellos smiled, “I never tried. But that will soon change. With an enemy like Lina Inverse, you have to take certain precautions.”

“A human.”

“Don’t make that mistake again.” Xellos said.

“Miss Sherra!” one of the demons cried, “I found it!”

“Bring it here!” Sherra snapped as she grinned at Xellos, who inclined his head at her.

The demon, a scraggly brown thing, walked up carrying a small dark grey stone. Sherra reached out to grab it, but Xellos snatched it before she could. “Hey!” she protested.

“I still don’t trust you with something so valuable.” Xellos said. “But I will give you credit. This is the Philosopher’s Stone.”

Sherra inhaled, “So this is where Lord Shabranigdo was defeated.”

They both stopped to bow their heads reverently. Nearly five years ago Lina had defeated Ruby Eyed Shabranigdo in this spot. Apparently she had been so heady from her victory that it had never occurred to her to wonder what had happened to the Philosopher’s Stone. Perhaps she had foolishly assumed it had been destroyed with Shabranigdo. Whatever the reason, she had never returned to the site to look for it. 

“How long until she bleeds?” Sherra asked.

Xellos’ eyes narrowed as he pocketed the stone, “It shouldn’t be too much longer. Given how many weeks have passed. In the meantime, I think you should find Violet.”

“She’s already in Kirva.” Sherra reported.

Xellos smiled. “Perfect. Everything is in place then.”


	20. Trouble! The Monster's True Plans Unfold!

“I know you’re upset about the spell being a bust and not getting any treasure.” Gourry pointed out as Lina put her hand on the door, “But even with all that, you seem rather grouchy this morning.” 

Lina gritted her teeth but stayed where she was. It was impossible to hide anything from that man. Still, she’d better say something before they got into the hallway where they would be overheard. “I guess you must know. It’s ‘that time of the month’, so my powers are weak.”

“So if there’s trouble, I’d better stay close.” Gourry surmised as Lina turned the handle.

“I just hate feeling so weak and useless!” Lina complained, “Honestly, why can’t it come when it’s convenient, like when I want to settle down?”

“That’s something you’d want to do?” Gourry asked as she opened the door and they stepped into the hallway.

Lina laughed a little, “You know me! The road always beckons. But, now that you mention it, it is getting harder and harder to split up the group.”

“Hm.” Gourry said noncommittally. 

They had talked about it the previous night. Lina had decided to venture to Atlas City to find a way to destroy the Jewel of Ahapta, and Gourry, naturally, would be going with her. Scarlet was still deliberating whether or not to stay in Kirva and reason with her sister or to travel with Lina and Gourry. Amelia, meanwhile, had to go back to her royal duties. The good news was that Zelgadis has offered to accompany Amelia back to Seyruun. The bad news was that the group would be parting once again.

They were silent as they passed Amelia's bedroom, and heard the princess's usual cheerful humming. Lina sighed. Splitting up the group just kept getting harder and harder. They always met up again later, but they were usually too busy being chased by monsters and villains to spend much time together enjoying each other. May be after she had destroyed the Jewel of Ahapta they could all get together quietly and… _But where would be the fun in that?_ Lina asked herself. She chuckled. _Next thing you know I'll be talking seriously about settling down!_

Zelgadis and Scarlet were already eating breakfast when Lina and Gourry got to the restaurant. "Good morning!" they said.

"Good morning!" Scarlet replied briskly as Zelgadis said in his usual humdrum tone between sips of coffee he'd managed to bully the Kirvians into importing, "Morning."

Lina took a seat beside Gourry, and eyed the menu hungrily as Amelia came down, bidding everyone a beautiful day. Soon, the breakfast was served, the breakfast was attacked, um, eaten, and the dishes taken away. Lina, Gourry and Amelia leaned back in their chairs, patting their full stomachs while Zelgadis had the waitress pour him one last cup of coffee as Scarlet did her best to pretend she didn’t know them. "So, what now?" Gourry asked.

"I guess we'll take the main road out of the Elmekia Empire. That will take us directly to Seyruun. Unfortunately, Seyruun's capital is to the north, and to get to Atlas City as quickly as possible, Gourry and I need to keep heading straight on, so I guess we'll be splitting up at the Seyruun boundary." Lina said.

Zelgadis nodded, “Scarlet, have you decided what you’re going to do?”

“I’m going to try to reason with my sister one last time.” Scarlet declared. “And if that doesn’t work, I’ll catch up with you.”

“Are you sure you’ll be fine?” Lina asked.

“Positive. I’ll make it through, one way or another.” Scarlet said.

"Alright then, that settles it!" Lina said, standing up, "Next stop…"

"Next stop, the afterworld, Lina Inverse!" an oily voice said from behind her.

"Huh?" Lina asked as she turned, and then yelled as she barely dodged the sword that was thrown at her, rolling to the ground and up to one knee. Gourry, Zelgadis and Amelia stood up, Zelgadis and Amelia readying their hands, Gourry and Lina drawing their swords, staring at the group of ruffians poised to fight them.

"Oh great," Lina said, "More of Xellos's goons I suppose. What does that guy want anyway?"

The lead ruffian screamed a battle cry and charged at them. "LIGHTING!" Lina called, blinding the nearest ruffian and finishing him with one sweep of her sword. Another attacked her from behind, and she pivoted, bringing her sword up to block his blow. He went for another swing, turning his body a bit too much leaving his back exposed. Lina smiled. Never expose you back to an enemy. She took the advantage, and brought her sword down on his back. Though Lina was not nearly as good with a sword as she was with her magic, she was still a slightly above average swordswoman, a fact most people failed to take into consideration. Lina used it to her full advantage at times like these.

Naturally, Gourry had no problems with the ruffians. He was by far the best swordsman Lina had ever seen, and even ten to one odds against ruffians such as these would ensure his victory. Heck, he didn't even have to deliver the deathblow before they took off running. Gourry avoided killing unless absolutely necessary.

All it took was a Flare Arrow from Zelgadis and a Dil Brand from Amelia to convince that ruffians to turn and run. They knew when they were in over their heads, and facing four magic users and a superb swordsman just wasn't worth the money they were offered. None really stopped to consider why it was exactly that Lina Inverse, rumored to be the most powerful sorceress in the entire world, didn't throw any spells of her own. They were just happy to get away with their lives.

Scarlet, however, did notice. “Goodness, Lina. Is it that time?”

Lina turned red, “Why not announce it to the whole world, why don’t you?”

Scarlet shook her head, “I meant to tell you, I saw an article a while back about a spell that makes the cycles cease! Rather fascinating, I’ve tried it myself with no problems.”

Lina slapped her hand to her forehead, “And you didn’t think to share this important piece of information with me because…?”

“Well, I’m sharing it now, aren’t I?” Scarlet said, “Just let me check my notes.”

"I’m afraid I can’t let you do that." A familiar voice said.

Everyone froze and turned to find Xellos sitting behind them sipping some tea. "Oh, this is just great." Lina said, "I suppose that you have something to tell us which we'd rather not hear. Go ahead, then. Tell us all about it."

"Well, well Miss Lina," Xellos said, "Isn't it obvious? What I told you about the monster race being intimidated by you was entirely accurate. What I didn't mention, however, was that the monster race was divided on just how to dispense with you. Some, like Lord Dynast Grausherra, didn't want to wait until you were at your most vulnerable to kill you and resurrect Lord Shabranigdo. Others, such as Greater Beast, wanted to wait until your magical capabilities had dwindled before attacking you. However, if others wanted to attack you beforehand, we were not going to stand in their way…Too much, that is."

Lina sighed, "So when Grau and Argazi showed up you pretended to be on our side to lull us into a false sense of security, which is also why you didn't help us in our fight against them. If they killed us, the easier it was for you, right?"

"Correct!" Xellos said as he smiled and stood up while he raised his hand and pointed one finger. "Now, Miss Lina, I believe it’s time to say goodbye. Don't take this too personally. I am a monster, after all."

Lina grinned, "You honestly don't expect me to lay down and die without a fight, magic or no magic, now do you?" she asked as Gourry, Zelgadis, Amelia and Scarlet closed in front of her to protect her.

"No," Xellos said, his voice low as his face became dominated with shadows, "That would be…disappointing."

Already sensing trouble, the patrons of the inn had vanished. _Good,_ Lina thought, _that way innocents won't get hurt._

Xellos threw back his staff and brought it forward, slinging a bolt of energy at the group. Zelgadis and Amelia threw a shield in front of them, absorbing the blast. "Lina, quick," Zelgadis said, "We have to think of a way out of here and go to low ground until you regain your powers!"

"I know!" Lina said, and the amulets on her arms, waist and neck started to glow, "But we have more immediate problems right now." She said, drawing her sword.

Zelgadis frowned. He didn't like the sound of that. "Oh?"

Gourry turned around then, his sword raised. "We're surrounded by demons." Lina said, pivoting and crying, "ELMEKIA LANCE!"

"Huh!" Xellos said, his violet eyes opening in surprise, and then he grinned, "The Demon's Blood Talisman. I'd forgotten that I'd sold those to you. Apparently they give you just enough power in your weakened condition to cast a few spells, but it won't be enough, Lina."

Lina frowned. He was right. That Elmekia Lance was so weak it hadn’t even been able to destroy the low ranking demons she had aimed for. She looked warily at her sword. Against enemies such as demons and monsters, her sword was useless. She had charmed it so it did have some low level magical powers, much like the jewels on her shoulder guards and her bandana, but nothing close enough to resembling the capabilities of Gourry's sword. She sighed. She hated being without her powers. It made her feel so useless! For now, though, the best idea was to stick close to the others and use her magic sparingly and only when she absolutely had to. May be while they were busy fighting she could plot a way out of this…

Gourry charged forward as far as he dared. He did not want to stray too far from Lina. He slashed and dodged and cut with his usual skill, but there always seemed to be more demons. Gourry had had no idea that they were so numerous. Beside him, Zelgadis was throwing combined Ra Tilts with Amelia, who occasionally threw up a defense shield should an energy beam get to close to the group. Scarlet, meanwhile, had daringly run forward and attempted to attack Xellos with the Zelas Brid. He deflected the attack with his staff and hurled some energy out her way, causing her to retreat. But she couldn’t get back to the group safely and ended up having to take refuge in a corner behind a table that she overturned. 

Lina toyed with the idea of throwing a Dragon Slave. There were several problems with that, however. One, she'd likely destroy most of Kirva with it. Yet if destroying Kirva meant stopping the resurrection of Shabranigdo, Lina would do it. Better one city being destroyed than the whole world. The other, she wasn't sure she could even cast it in her condition, much less that it would do any good. No. It wouldn't kill any of the targets, but it might daze them enough to allow her and the group to escape and lie low for a while. Should she really try it, though? She closed her eyes, "Lord of Darkness of the four worlds, I call upon you, grant me all the power, all the power that you possess!"

A monster broke through the defense barrier that Gourry, Zelgadis and Amelia had set up. Lina dodged out of the way and Gourry's sword was suddenly there defending her. Lina stood at his back, now exposed to numerous monsters. She readied her hands, "ELMEKIA LANCE!" she said, clearing a path and she and Gourry headed for the wall. Lina stood against the wall and Gourry stood directly in front of her, ready to take on anyone who came close to them.

Across the room, now separated from Gourry and Lina, Zelgadis and Amelia stood back to back while Scarlet was exiled to the far west of the restaurant. Lina sighed. There was no way she could cast the Dragon Slave now without the others getting caught in the blast, and even if it were a weak version of the spell, they could very well end up dying. Lina wasn't prepared to sacrifice her friends. There were still options. She just had to find them.

"RA TILT!" Amelia cried, and then cheered as she finally nailed one. Behind her Zelgadis growled as the one he was aiming at dodged. One quickly ran up beside Zelgadis, and quicker than one can see, Zelgadis had drawn his sword, "ASTRAL VINE!" he yelled, slamming his sword into the demon. The demon died easily enough, and Zelgadis turned to glare at the endless horde of demons before them. There was no end to them.

Amelia put a shield up suddenly as a bombardment of energy from Xellos hounded her. From behind her, she felt Zelgadis doing the same. "We can't hold out much longer under this much power!" Amelia said.

Zelgadis gritted his teeth. He did not have a good feeling about this one. Up until this point, he supposed, they had been lucky, and luck had to run out sometime.

Lina managed to throw a weak shield in front of Gourry and herself as the bombardment hit them, but her shield didn't come close to the power that Zelgadis's and Amelia's had, and was doing even more poorly in the resultant bombardment. Lina scowled, thinking furiously. She wasn't going to die like this, huddled into a corner during one of the weakest moments of her life. She hadn't battled Dark Lords and Mazuko and won and saved the world who knows how many times to be defeated now, to see all of her hard work go to waste. If she did, those other times she had saved the world would have counted for nothing. She would have simply been delaying the inevitable, and Lina preferred a story with a happier ending.

"Gourry," she said.

"Do you have an idea, Lina?" he asked, his voice hopeful.

"Cut a hole through the wall. I'll throw a Dil Brand to create a cover for us, and then we run." She said. She looked worriedly over at Zelgadis, Amelia and Scarlet, but unfortunately there wasn't much she could do for them. Much as she hated to admit it, she was the only one who had a hope of defeating Shabranigdo should he be resurrected, which meant that somehow she had to escape. And hopefully if they saw her fleeing, the monsters would chase her and leave her friends alone. Besides they were tough, and they'd been through a lot. They could make it through this. _I hope._

Gourry looked over at the others, similar thoughts running through his mind. He thought for a moment about getting Lina to safety and then going back for his friends, but it would be foolish to leave Lina unguarded, and he had made a promise to protect her, not Zelgadis, Amelia and Scarlet. Still…the swordsman hated leaving his friends like this.

He screamed as he cut through the wall. Lina cast a Dil Brand with more speed than she would have thought possible. It wasn't as strong as she would have liked, but it did provide some cover from the resultant dust and debris it spewed. Gourry motioned for Lina to head out. She did, himself taking up the rear. Bright light blinded them both. Lina frowned, she had forgotten that it was still morning. This wasn't good. She would have preferred the cover of darkness that night would have given her but she really didn't have a choice. Lina and Gourry exchanged a solemn glance, and then headed off down the street together.

"Mr. Zelgadis," Amelia said, still holding up her shield against the bombardment.

"What is it, Amelia?" he asked.

"I just wanted to say that chimera or not, it’s been an honor being with you and knowing you. Justice loving people are rare in the world and…"

The bombardment died down a bit as soon as Amelia said, 'justice loving.' Zelgadis and Amelia looked up, "Of course!" Zelgadis said, "They've been getting stronger by feeding off our negative emotions, particularly our despair. Think, Amelia, would Lina like it if we suddenly went all pessimistic on her?"

Amelia smiled, "That's right! We're not going to die here! We're going to keep on fighting, and with justice and a peace loving heart and the love we share we will triumph over the enemy!"

The demons recoiled back for a moment, burning with the pain of Amelia's mini-speech. Amelia was about to go for another round when they gathered themselves together and flew at Zelgadis and Amelia. Amelia found herself separated from Zelgadis, pushed back against a wall. "Because of my love for this world," she said, "I will not let you defeat me! DAM BRASS!"

The wall shattered before her, and with three demons on her tail she ran out into the city. Meanwhile, Zelgadis had found himself similarly pinned as Amelia. He drew his sword, "ASTRAL VINE!" and brought it down, slashing several demons before it hit the wall and he carved an opening through it, allowing him to escape as well with his own trio of monsters on his tail. The fight was a lonely one.

* * *

Lina and Gourry ran through the city, confused civilians watching them at every turn. Lina was about to turn right when Gourry said, "No, Lina, this way."

Lina looked at the swordsman in surprise, "Do you know a way out?"

"Yeah," he said, "There's an old house on Conchoidal Street that I used to play in. The basement leads to some underground tunnels that will take us out of the city. We can hide out there for a while."

Lina smiled, "Good work Gourry!" And then stopped as six demons suddenly appeared before them. Lina readied her hands, and Gourry stepped in front of her, his sword ready. 

The demons attacked with lightning speed, pushing themselves between Lina and Gourry. They tried to get back to each other, but whenever they did a demon would suddenly appear in their path and soon Lina found that she could not see Gourry at all. An ice cold hand clutched her heart, and she looked at the three demons with hatred. They'd gotten her where they wanted her all right, alone and defenseless. If they expected her to lay down and die, though, then they had another thing coming. "DIL BRAND!" she cried again. This time it barely blew up any dust. She had overexerted what little magical capabilities she had had. She ran anyway, though, turning right, left, straight erratically to lose the monsters. Somehow, she had managed to find herself on Conchoidal Street. She looked around. It seemed to be comprised of shops, but sure enough, there was an old, destitute building in the middle of the street. Lina ran to it, thanking Gourry and hoping he was all right. He'd make it to this house, he knew where she would go. Everything would be okay.

She kicked open the door and ran down the stairs to the basement. Sure enough, on one wall in the basement there was a tunnel. Lina ran to it, just as the demons caught up with her. Lina made it to the tunnel, and then turned, placing her hand on the tunnel walls. She hoped she had enough energy left to do this one spell, "Holy wind, wind which flows gently across the land, let all things be filled with your pure breath. VAN REHL!"

Strings of icicles flowed across the walls and over the opening of the tunnel. Supposedly anyone or anything that touched the icicles would turn to ice themselves, but Lina didn't have the time to see if it would work. She turned and ran at a lightning pace, knowing that her magical powers were now officially exhausted. Even with the Demon's Blood Talisman, she had done all that she could. Now all she had to do was to get away and survive. Behind her, she heard the demons gaining on her…


	21. Uh-Oh! Fragmented and Powerless!

Lina pounded down the corridor at a neck breaking pace and resisted the urge to look behind her. She couldn’t afford to spare the time it would cost to do so, couldn’t risk falling and tripping should because she’d taken her eyes off the ground. Besides, years of fighting monsters and demons had taught her that she wouldn’t need to see them. The sense of bloodlust would be unmistakable when it happened. And then what chance did she have? Alone and without her magic there would be little way that she could defend herself.

Lina focused on running, ignoring as best she could how tired she was or how her ribs hurt. If she stopped or slowed down she might as well lay down and die. So on she ran. She wasn’t sure how long it was before she saw the exit to the tunnel. The exit was a tiny slit in the wall from which light came through. It was barely big enough for Lina to slide through, and only the stream of light entering it alerted Lina to its presence. And therein Lina faced a difficult question. Dare she go out into the open and make it easier for them to find her? Or should she stay here, where they had seen her go in, but hope that they got lost in this maze of underground tunnels and lost her? Each seemed risky. 

Lina noticed a hole in the ground that sat right where the ceiling and floor of the cave met. Lina honed in on her senses, and feeling no bloodlust, she stopped to examine it. “LIGHTING!” She sent her light spell within. It didn't go down that deeply, but it went down deep enough, and there was even a small shelf beneath the floor that she could hide in. Even better, there seemed to be some orihalcon mixed in with the stone on the floor which could help to mask her astral body. Overhead were loose shambles of rock that looked like they might come down at any moment. Lina grinned. Perfect.

She ripped off a piece of her jacket and held it in her hand, planning out the details, knowing it was just a matter of time before the monsters caught up to her. Then she sat right in front of the hole in the ground, completely covering it from sight. She took off one of her earrings and dug into her pack for some more jewelry and then pulled some strands of hair from her head, and then concentrated on getting as much rest as she could.

Lina waited. Her stomach tensed as she felt the bloodlust. She let out a breath and focused on doing her best to look injured. Her anxiety ratcheted up a notch as Xellos appeared. Could she trick the Trickster Priest?

“Too scared to take me on with my full powers?” Lina mocked. 

Xellos’ smile faltered, “If the choice were mine I very well would have liked to have taken you on, no holds barred. But orders are orders you know.”

Lina chanted a shield spell as Xellos let loose with a large blast of energy. It didn’t offer much protection as she fell through the hole, but it was enough. She threw her scraps of clothing and jewels as she did and then she burrowed under the floor and out of sight of the opening. Soon the rocks from the face up above came tumbling down, further blocking Lina from view but causing her concern as she wondered just how she was going to get out, or even if she would have enough air to breath.

From above her Lina could hear the sound of Xellos’ feet on the stone as he examined his handiwork while dust and debris settled over her. Lina did her best to still her breathing and not make a sound. "That was too easy." He said.

Lina’s anxiety heightened, but she didn’t dare take a deep breath. It made it worse, unbearable even! What if he wasn’t convinced? Would he send some demons to dig through the rubble? He kept walking above her, and she heard him kick at some of the stones. She heard the scraping of metal on stone and he said, “An earring.”

Lina did her best to keep her breathing even, but the fact that the air seemed thin didn’t help. Lina would never have thought of herself as claustrophobic, but these were far from typical circumstances. At last Xellos sighed, “I guess there’s not much left.”

Then she finally heard the whoosh of a monster moving to the astral plane. Was he gone? Or trying to see if he could locate her astral body? Would the orihalcon shield her? Minutes passed by as slowly as years, but he did not return. Lina breathed a sigh of relief. It had worked! She tried to get up, found that it hurt to do so. Besides, she was so tired.

* * *

Gourry screamed as he found that he had been separated from Lina. Images of her death flashed through his mind as all he could think of was how she was currently unable to use her magic. _I've failed you, Lina,_ he thought, gripping his sword tightly and cutting through the nearest demon. "One down," he said, "Two more to go."

One of them threw energy beams at him, which Gourry dodged, only to be assaulted by the other one. Gourry frowned as he admitted to himself that the odds sucked. He grabbed a table made of obsidian and used it to deflect the firepower as he charged at one of the demons. The obsidian shattered as the energy burst hit it, but it had allowed Gourry to get close enough to the demon to take it out with his sword. He grinned. Demons were still tough to take out, but they weren't nearly as bad as a full level monster. Gourry would not even think of objecting, however. The quicker he dispensed with them the sooner he could start looking for Lina.

The remaining demon threw several energy beams at him, which Gourry nimbly dodged. Dodging was not the problem, however. Getting close enough to the demon without the demon throwing energy beams at him was. 

Suddenly a new idea came to him. He smiled. He charged the demon at full speed, anticipating the moment when he would start throwing the energy beams. He had to time this correctly. When his instincts screamed, he drew back his arm and threw his sword at the creature, and then jumped out of the way before the energy beams hit him, his sword hidden from the demon's view in the resultant flash of light until it was too late. His aim was true, as the sword impaled itself on the demon. The demon crumbled, and Gourry's sword fell to the ground. One of the differences between the Sword of Light and Blast Sword was that Blast Sword did not depend on the will of a user to wield it like the Sword of Light did. Basically, whenever Gourry let go of the Sword of Light the beam of energy that comprised the sword died. With Blast Sword it would continue functioning even if Gourry let go of it.

Gourry picked up his sword and sheathed it. He still missed the Sword of Light, and he always would, but that sword was back where it belonged now, and this new sword hadn't let him down yet. He looked around, gathering his bearings before heading towards Conchoidal Street to find Lina.

* * *

Gradually, the events during the time before she lost consciousness filtered back to Lina, and she had to restrain herself from sitting up. It wouldn't exactly be a good idea with such a low hanging ceiling overhead. Slowly, she turned to her back and wondered if it would be safe to try to get above ground. She didn’t sense any danger or bloodlust, but still. 

"LIGHTING!" she called, and light illuminated the tiny crevices that was her hiding place. Fortunately, all the debris from the attack had managed to keep her shielded from Xellos. Unfortunately, it also seemed to have buried her alive. She closed her eyes. Hopefully her rest had rejuvenated some of her magical powers, "Lord of Darkness of the four worlds, I call upon you, grant me all the power that you possess. BEPHIS BRING!" she said, aiming for the 'ceiling.' She sighed with relief as it cleared threw the surface. Ignoring the debris that fell down on her, she climbed out of her sanctuary and stood up, and took a deep breath of air, and then assessed her wounds. Mostly superficial, but she definitely needed some good rest.

She turned her attention to the exit. She wondered if she should wait for Gourry, and then thought against it. These underground caves were numerous, and she and Gourry could spend years looking for each other in them. Besides, she needed a meal and a bed, and a recovery spell would probably do her some good as well, not a cold cave. She needed to rest up and to regain her strength for the upcoming fight. She just hoped that Gourry and the others were all right.

Silently, she slid through the entrance and into the night. She frowned as she took in the night sky. Either she'd been fighting the demons for longer than she had thought or she'd been unconscious for longer than she'd like to think about. Without a particular destination in mind, as she had no real idea where she was, she set off. Relief rushed through her as she saw lights up ahead. The lights quickly became a town, and Lina's heart beat faster as she recognized it. Trespin.

She smiled, remembering Zelgadis's sister, Zelena. She had a friend here at least. She quickened her pace. The quicker she got to Trespin the better.

She felt as if a great burden had been lifted off her back when she finally made it. Despite her nap, she still felt like crashing for a week. Now to find Zelena. Unfortunately, they had never made it to her home, just a restaurant she frequented. Lina decided to head there. She was hungry.

Lina never forgot the location of a good restaurant, and in no time she had found it. She stepped inside, wondering if she should actually forgo eating and head straight to bed. She could always ask around about Zelena's whereabouts in the morning.

Someone walked up to her. "Lina?" she asked. Lina looked up, "Zelena, thank goodness!" she said.

Zelena eye's widened, taking in Lina's battered, filthy appearance and lack of traveling companions, "Lina? Are you all right? What of my brother? My goodness, what happened?" she asked as she slid an arm around Lina and led her to a room she often stayed in when she was too tired to head to her house.

"Zel?" Lina asked, a twinge of guilt in her voice, "I have no idea. We…got separated in the fight, I'm sorry, Zelena." She then went on to explain the evening's events and how she had ended up to be where she was now. Apparently, Zelena had some magical capabilities as well as she started examining Lina's wounds and casting recovery spells on them with as much skill and tact as any healer, "And I finally made it here."

Zelena bit her lip, and shook her head, "That's terrible. I can tell that my brother is alright, but I hope the others are as well."

Lina slumped forward, shaking her head, trying to hold back the guilt she was feeling. For all she knew her friends were dead because she had abandoned them. Lina had never abandoned her friends in a fight before. But something about Zelena’s conviction about Zelgadis grabbed her attention, “How do you know Zel’s alright?”

Zelena smiled a little, “When you love someone, when it’s a blood connection, you can tell when something bad happens to them. All these years I knew my brother was alive. And I know he is now. It doesn’t have to be blood. It can also be true love. You have that connection with Gourry, don’t you?”

Lina smiled and closed her eyes and focused. Somehow, that jellyfish would be fine. She patted Zelena on the shoulder, "You're right. I'm sorry, this day has just been long, that's all."

"I can see that," Zelena said, getting up, "And you need your rest."

"Actually I’m really hungry. Those recovery spells leave me famished. I didn't know you had any magical affinity."

Zelena smiled tiredly, "It’s nothing compared to what Great Grandfather had. He was such a great sorcerer it must have been a great disappointment to him when all Father could master was the most basic of spells. Waiter!”

Lina ordered and ate a lot of food, talking about Greywards family history the whole time, while Lina marveled at just how different Zelgadis and Zelena were. If anything, Zelena reminded her a bit of Amelia, and suddenly Zelgadis’ attraction for the princess made more sense. 

Once dinner was finished Zelena sighed, "Why don’t you get some rest? I'll stay up at night, just in case the demons come."

"What about the trolls?" Lina asked.

"The trolls?" Zelena said, "I think I finally drove them to extinction."

Lina shook her head. One woman without any offensive magical capabilities taking on a horde of trolls with only her sword. Her brother one of the most powerful and intelligent people she had ever met, both descendants of one of the Five Wise Men. Even if he had been corrupt, he had been spectacular. The Greywards were one exceptional family. But more than that, given what they were facing, they needed every strong body they could find.

"Will you come and fight Shabranigdo with us?" Lina asked.

Zelena thought for a moment, "I think I will. I don't know how much use I will be, but if we head out tomorrow we should meet up with the group in Kirva at about the time your powers should return, and with the monsters believing you dead and my sword to protect you, we should be okay."

Lina nodded, "All right then, next stop Kirva!" her expression softened suddenly as she added, "Thank you, Zelena."

* * *

It was dark by the time Gourry had finished combing through the underlying passages underneath the old house he had played under as a kid. Hands balled into fists, he climbed up the stairs like a man marching to his death. He had found no trace of Lina. He got to the top of the staircase trying to think positively like Lina did. Maybe she hadn't been able to find the house and was safe someplace else in the city. Maybe she had run into Zelgadis and Amelia, and they had fled to safety somewhere and they were with her to protect her. Maybe she had exited the passages to one of the cities that they led to. But surely she would have left a sign for him to follow. Or maybe she had assumed that he had been killed.

He sank to his knees. One thought kept penetrating through all of the others. She couldn't use her magic. And that short sword of hers against three demons just wasn't going to cut it. He put his hands over his face. He had failed her. The tears started flowing as the thought floated through his mind over and over again.

The sound of a door opening and closing brought him out of his stupor, and for a few heart-wrenching seconds he hoped beyond hope that it was Lina who had finally found the place. His heart sank, however, as he saw his brother walking towards him.

Gunther smirked as he walked up to Gourry, "I thought you'd be here. You spent enough time pouting here as a child."

Gourry wiped his eyes and stood up. He was not going to put up with his brother's taunting, and he was not going to give into it. Contrary to whatever his brother thought, he did not in any way want the Dukedom of Kirva, and he had not come back here to re-start the ancient family rivalry. He walked out of the room and out of the house, Gunther following close behind him. "Yes, you spent a lot of time pouting in that old house, just like I saw you pouting now. Or, was it tears I saw in your eyes? What's wrong, Gourrems? That Dragon Spooker girl leave you for a real man?"

Gourry's hands balled up into fists again. He wasn't going to fight him, though. He was going to find Lina, even if it meant finding a corpse. He just had to know for sure. "Don't you see anything, Gunther? Monsters attacked the inn today, monsters who wanted to resurrect Shabrabigdo or Shabbynigo or whatever his name is! And you're worried about some petty family quarrel when the fate of the world is at stake? At any rate, the Dukedom is yours, whether you deserve it or not, it's yours. I just came here to help prevent the destruction of the world, and once my work here is through, you can guarantee I'll leave, and I won't be coming back unless I absolutely have to."

"Yes, you don't want the Dukedom just like you didn't want the Sword of Light."

"I didn't want the Sword of Light, Gunther," Gourry said sadly. He knew that there was no way he could make Gunther understand his reasons for taking it and leaving, "It was tearing the family apart. I stole it to destroy it, and it ended up saving the world because I took it. You should be thankful."

Gunther grabbed Gourry's shoulder, "That's that thing about you that I really hated." He spat, "You always made me look bad."

Gourry shook his head, "I never did that, Gunth. You did."

Gunther growled, and unsheathed his sword. Gourry sighed. He wanted to avoid this. His brother's swordsmanship matched his own, and Gourry didn't want to get caught up in a fight with him and lose precious time on finding Lina. "Listen, Gunther, my friends have been scattered by the demons and…they might be dead. I have to find them so we can stop the resurrection of that Shab guy."

"Quit your whining and your petty excuses!" Gunther spat, lunging forward, forcing Gourry to draw his sword to defend himself. Gourry sighed, drawing his sword and meeting Gunther's blow. He'd better make this quick, for Lina's sake. For all of their sakes.

* * *

After a warm bath, a good sleep, and a large breakfast, Lina was feeling human again, even if she didn’t have her powers fully back. She stood with Zelena on the outskirts of Trespin and took a deep breath and hoped that her friends were okay. “Do you think we should try the ruins?” Zelena asked.

“I was so focused on surviving I don’t think I could navigate them back to Kirva.” Lina said. “Unless you know how to get there.”

“Never left home before.” Zelena said as she adjusted her sack.

Lina's eyes widened a bit. While she knew her lifestyle was unique, she still couldn't fathom staying in one place for so long. Lina smiled widely, “Then it’s past time you see what’s out there!”

Together they took off down the road, hatching plans to defeat the monster the race the whole time.


	22. Very Bad! I'm Not in This Episode!

Sherra did her best to smoother the sharp sense of panic she felt as she appeared in Violet’s home and realized she wasn’t there. “She’s probably just out gathering groceries.” Sherra said petulantly as she wrapped her arms around herself and glowered and tried to suppress her worries that Violet had skipped town and she would have to track her down. The last thing she needed was to look incompetent again.

From the street she heard the sounds of an explosion and a mulling crowd. Sherra looked outside. She relaxed as she noticed Violet standing among a throng of people and she promptly left the house to gather her. She had just gotten there when she noticed that everyone was staring at an inn, which had a good chunk of its side blown away. Sherra grinned as she saw some of Lina’s friends race from the inn with demons hot on their tails.

“Scarlet!” Violet cried as she saw her sister take off from the inn.

Scarlet stopped, and the hesitation cost her as the demon fired a ball of energy at her. Scarlet managed to dodge to avoid the worst of it, but it still nipped her arm. Sherra wasn’t sure of the damage, but it looked a bit more than superficial as Scarlet screamed.

“The demons will take care of her.” Sherra said.

Violet turned to her, “General Sherra?”

“Come with me.”

Violet looked at Scarlet, who was doing her best to fend off the demon attacks with one bad arm, “I have to know what happens to her.”

Sherra put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her into another dimension, “Her end is near. It’s all you need to know.”

* * *

"ASTRAL VINE!" Zelgadis yelled, his sword glowing red as he swiped at the demon directly in front of him. _Damn. Just nicked him._ An attack from behind sent Zelgadis spiraling into the wall, and Zelgadis was once again bitterly reminded about what an asset his rock hard body could be at times. He got up, ignoring the pain that coursed through him, holding his sword ready and glaring at the demons before him.

There were three of them. Going up against three demons by oneself was just plain suicidal, but it appeared as if he had no choice. Besides, he'd faced monsters more powerful than these, but never on his own before. He grinned. This could be fun. "RA TILT!" he yelled, aiming for the one in the middle. The demon dodged, and suddenly Zelgadis found himself under the barrage of magical energy. He threw up a shield just in time, the impact sending him back only but slightly.

With his free hand, Zelgadis grabbed one of the pieces of fallen rubble, deciding to take a page out of Lina's book. Enchanting the stone with magical energy, he threw it at one of the demon's shadow, effectively pinning it to the spot. He grabbed his sword, once more enchanting it with his Astral Vine spell, and then, with his other hand maintaining the shield around him, he ran at the pinned demon, cutting him down in one sweep with his sword.

One of the demons hit him from behind with a beam of energy, only slightly too late to save his companion demon. Zelgadis went flying again. This time he heard something crack. He tried to get up, and then stopped as the pain coursed through his side. Cracked ribs? This wasn't good. He had to finish the other two off quickly if he were to survive this.

One of the demons, or was it both of them, were laughing. They threw another energy barrage at him and Zelgadis got his shield up again. _Think!_ He told himself, _think! There has to be a way out of this…_

He grinned as an idea materialized before him, and slamming his hand to the ground he cried, "DUG HAUT!"

Tall earthen spires emerged from the ground, and though they did not impale any of the demons, nor would it have done any good if they had had, it allowed Zelgadis to move about on his last reserves of adrenaline behind a screen of dust and pillars. He snuck up behind one demon, taking him out with his sword. He looked around for the other demon and turned around too late and found himself being thrown to the ground once more by an energy burst.

He tried to get up again, but it hurt too much. Slowly, he opened his eyes. The demon was coming close to him now. The sense of death and the vile laughter clogged Zelgadis's senses, and soon enough the demon was right before him. Zelgadis grinned. Never underestimate your enemy, "RA TILT!" he cried. There was no way he could miss the demon now!

Sure enough, the spell hit the demon full on and completely destroyed him. Zelgadis felt the tension ebb out of him. He meant to cast a recovery spell on himself before going out to find the others, but found that he didn't have the energy. It wasn't long before he was fast asleep.

* * *

Amelia ran through the alleyways, the demons close on her tale. She looked to her left and right, searching, searching, searching…She grinned as she finally found something that would work, "RAY WING!" she cried, flying up to the top of a tall pier. She stood, hands on hips, cape flipping in the breeze, head held high with a justice-loving smile on her face. She extended one hand forward, raising her index finger and winking at the demons, "You who dwell in the void that is Chaos, you who yearn for death and destruction and the end of all things that are good, you who are no more than the opposite of all that is good I, Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun, will strike you down with the Hammer of Justice!" She made a few dramatic poises, and the demons looked at her unsure of what to do. The positive energy she was emanating kept them at bay, afraid to do anything against her just in case she started singing.

"Yes, it may seem as though the odds are against me, but I have Justice on my side! And with the power of Justice, a girl such as myself need never to fear, for Justice is a source of good in this world, and Justice will triumph!"

She raised her hand to the sky, and as if on cue lightning struck dramatically around her. "Now, vile monsters, feel the power of my Justice!" she said, "VISFARANK!"

Magical energy congregated in her hands, and she jumped from her pier, using a Ray Wing to direct where she fell, smashing one of the demons with her Visfarank as she fell, causing him to disintegrate on contact. "RA TILT!" she yelled at one of the two remaining stunned demons, destroying him easily.

Amelia flew at the remaining demon, but by the time she had defeated the other two demons he had had time to recover from his shock and the beating Amelia's justice speech had given him, and he dodged her easily sending a bolt of energy her way. Amelia dropped out of the Ray Wing, rolling more gracefully to the ground than she would have a few years earlier when she didn't seem to be able to jump from a high place without crash landing. She righted herself up to one knee, "RA TILT!"

The demon dodged, Amelia Ray Winged, dodging the bolts of energy that flew at her as she did. "Now, foul demon, with the power of love, hope and Justice, I shall smash you…With the Hammer of Justice!"

Her positive words caused the demon to hesitate for a moment, which was all that she needed. "ELMEKIA LANCE!" she yelled as she hit the demon. "Curse you, Amelia!" he yelled as he died.

Amelia landed upright and on her feet, holding out the victory sign sighing, "Ah, victory!"

She shrugged, "Wow, using the power of the Justices speeches really does work. Seems that they just can't handle the power of Justice."

She turned on her heels, "Now to find the others. Gee, I hope they're all right."

She suddenly found herself examining the area she was in. Some deserted back alley. Rather strange place to put a miniature Stonehenge. She gasped as she recognized the pattern. It looked the rock configurations that were dredged up from the earth whenever Zelgadis used the Dug Haut spell!

"Mr. Zelgadis?" she cried, scanning through the debris concentrated around the piers for him. She moaned as she saw him lying very still against one of the piers, blood everywhere, "Oh, Mr. Zelgadis." She said, running to him and casting a Resurrection spell.

She bit her lip as she examined his wounds and hoped it wasn’t too late. But of course it wasn’t. She'd healed worse before. It would all be fine. She didn't relax until the wounds started to close and Zelgadis's breath took a more natural rhythm, however. She sighed with relief as Zelgadis's eyes opened. "Amelia?" he asked, "Amelia, how did you…"

"Careful, Mr. Zelgadis," she said, helping him to sit up, "You were badly wounded when I found you after defeating some monsters. Lucky you used the Dug Haut or I might never have found you, though."

"You saved me, Amelia." He said.

"Uh-huh." Amelia said nonchalantly. His arm was still around her shoulder from where she had helped him to sit up, and without thinking she cuddled up to him. "Do you know what happened to Miss Lina and Mr. Gourry?" she asked.

Zelgadis shook his head, "Last I saw they were up to their neck in demons just as we were."

Amelia sighed sadly, "And neither of them can use magic, and Miss Lina doesn't have a magic sword like Mr. Gourry does. Oh, I hope they're all right."

Zelgadis looked at her and blushed as it hit him that his arm was around her shoulder with herself snuggled comfortably in the nook of his arm. He removed his arm, avoiding her eyes, "I'm sorry, Amelia." He said.

Amelia frowned, disappointed. "You don't need to apologize, Mr. Zelgadis." She said.

She sighed to herself. To him she was probably nothing more than a silly girl with naïve ideals of truth and justice. That's definitely what she was when they had first met, and first impressions are hard to shake, but Amelia liked to think that she had grown, grown into someone he could love. She'd tried to get close to him, slowly, carefully, to get him to ease up out of his shell, but every time she thought she had made progress it all seemed to go down the drain.

She bit down a sudden flood of emotion. She was not going to give into it. She should just accept that she could never be someone important in his life and move on. She steeled herself, trying to convince herself that she could do it. Right now they needed to find Lina and Gourry, after Zelgadis had recovered his strength. She sighed. It had been a long day.

Zelgadis watched Amelia carefully as her face contorted like it did when she tried to rein her emotions under control. He'd only seen it a couple of times, usually when mention of her family's butchered past was discussed and she struggled to fight back tears, usually lapsing into a comfortable Justice Speech afterwards. Zelgadis frowned, had something he did really driven her that closely to tears? Did she really feel for him, or was she just worried about Lina and Gourry?

Of the group, Amelia had often gone out of her way to make him feel accepted, but Zelgadis had often attributed that to her kind nature. After all, how could a princess destined to be a great ruler one day love a freak like him, banished from society wherever he went? Even then, it really didn't matter. What had mattered was finding the cure to his curse, and anything that got in his way had to be cast aside, including friends and potential lovers. But now it looked as though he were better off with his curse than without it, and even if he decided he was better without it, Amelia having found the Jewel of Rajah would have meant that he wouldn't have to journey for a cure anymore. It was right at his fingertips! He no longer had any other obligations, but dare he assume that Amelia had a place for him in her life?

Zelena had thought so, but then, Zelena had thought that all the girls in town had a thing for him. He sighed, he might as well ask, "Are you all right, Amelia?"

Amelia looked up, surprised, "Oh, I'm fine."

Zelgadis frowned, "Why are you crying, Amelia? If it’s about Lina and Gourry…"

Amelia stood up, her hands balling into fists as she suppressed a scream. No question about it, he definitely saw her as some silly girl now. "Stop it! Stop it!" she yelled, "You don't understand at all!" She turned away from him, trying to regain her composure. What had gotten into her? The fight with the demons must have left her more tired than she thought. She always got emotional when she was tired. That, and worrying over her friends had left her drained. That was it.

"Hey!" Zelgadis said, "What don't I understand?"

Amelia's fists balled up again. What was he sounding so defensive about? "What good would it do? You never listen! You hear, but you don't listen! I tried to get you to listen! I tried to get you to talk! But you kept on…you kept on doing it anyway." She leaned forward and sighed.

"What did I keep doing, Amelia?"

Amelia looked up at him in surprise, "Looking for your cure. You don't need it, Mr. Zelgadis. Whether or not you look it, you are human. You would have let Miss Lina and Mr. Gourry fight Gaav on their own if you weren't…and you wouldn't have come with us to rescue Mr. Gourry from Hellmaster Phibrizo if you weren't. I kept trying and trying to tell you that you weren't a freak, but you never listened! You kept on searching for the cure when you don't need it, Mr. Zelgadis! After all, even the most normal looking of humans can have the heart of a monster, and the most grotesque can have the heart of gold! Body of stone or body of flesh, you have the heart of a Justice loving human to me, and that has always been what mattered to me, Mr. Zelgadis."

She sighed as she sat down, pulling her knees to her chest feeling completely miserable. Zelgadis looked at her, surprised, barely believing what he was hearing. "So, what you're saying is, that it is not out of pity that your kindness to me stems from."

Amelia looked up, shocked, "Wha-at? No! No, Mr. Zelgadis, I never pitied you. Well, not because of your looks. You were always so alone, though, and I didn't want you to be so lonely because…" her voice trailed off and she shook her head. If she told him how much she loved him he would brush it off as some schoolgirl crush, and then she'd be back on square one again. She sighed, she seemed to be doing a lot of that today.

"Then you're friends with me because you don't want me to be lonely." Zelgadis said. He wasn't sure which was worse, but at least he knew the truth.

Amelia nearly screamed again. Why was he doing this to her, "No! That's not it at all! Don't you see that I respect and admire you? For the deeds you accomplished, for the knowledge you possess? I was happy to consider one such as you a friend, and I pitied the breach between us that kept us from being more…" She put her hands over her mouth. She had said too much. "We…we have to find Miss Lina and Mr. Gourry." She said.

Zelgadis stood up and walked over to her, kneeling down in front of her and putting his hands on her shoulders, forcing their eyes to meet, "What breach? More than what, Amelia?" he asked, his voice desperate.

Amelia sighed, defeated. She might as well. Chances were good they might not survive this, and it wouldn't be just if he died not knowing, even if he didn't believe her, "The breach you put out because of your endless search for your curse that kept us from being more than friends. I love you, Zelgadis Greywards, believe it or not, it's the truth."

She folded her arms across her chest, daring him to contradict her, preparing herself for the barrage that followed. Maybe he'd simply get up and say that they should go and find Lina and Gourry. That would be best. His grip on her shoulders loosened, and his hands moved to her back, and much to her surprise, Amelia found Zelgadis hugging her. She stiffened, unsure of what to do, but not wanting him to stop. Was he just playing with her, or…

"I love you, too, Amelia." He said.

"Mr. Zelgadis?" she asked, barely believing her ears.

"Did I say something wrong?" he asked, suddenly extremely uncomfortable and blushing heavily.

"No, it's just, well, I thought that you thought of me as some silly girl, that's all." Amelia said.

"What? Amelia, no, may be at first, yes, but didn't you think me scary at first? You've fought monsters and villains and Dark Lords bravely and have managed to survive. How could I think of you as simply some silly girl after watching you confront enemies like that? Besides, it's hard to think of someone who can effectively take command of a squadron of ships and can face a council and who has handled diplomatic situations so admirably as silly. If anything, I found your Justice antics charming. Well, after a while, that is."

Amelia beamed up at him and threw her arms around him, holding him tightly. Zelgadis returned the embrace enthusiastically, and soon Amelia started laughing, "Would you like to stay in Seyruun for a while, once this is all over that is? We could always use someone with your knowledge at Seyruun."

Zelgadis smiled one of his rare smiles, "I think…that would be nice, actually. Thank you, Amelia."

You're welcome…Zelgadis." She said. They looked quietly into each other's eyes for a moment, and then, without really knowing who started it, they met to give each other a kiss that ended all too soon. Amelia leaned against Zelgadis, her head resting at his chest after they broke apart. "I guess we had better find Miss Lina and Mr. Gourry now. You seem to be well rested."

Zelgadis nodded reluctantly, "I quite agree."

With a sigh, they reluctantly pulled apart, and headed down the alley.


	23. What? Shabranigdo Wakes Again?

Zelgadis and Amelia walked hand and hand through Kirva, their eyes open and ears strained for any signs of a struggle. Their friends couldn’t have gotten too far, and they were determined to find them. “Wow.” Amelia said as they turned a corner and started to see a crowd of people running away. Up in the distance they could see dust and pulverized brick.

“I guess we should just follow the destruction.” Zelgadis said.

Amelia nodded, “Bets on this being Lina?”

“What are you offering?”

But before Amelia could answer they heard the sounds of a battle being waged. They exchanged a glance and took off down the street. “Miss Scarlet?” Amelia exclaimed in surprise as Scarlet threw herself back against a wall to dodge a burst of energy from a demon.

“ELMEKIA LANCE!” Zelgadis roared, and he managed to catch one of the demons off guard and destroy him.

Amelia went to Scarlet, who was cradling a bad arm. “There’s still another on the prowl. I only managed to take one out.” Scarlet said through gritted teeth.

“Wherever he is he seems to have fled.” Zelgadis said as Amelia started a healing spell on Scarlet. “Did you see what happened to Lina and Gourry?”

“No.” Scarlet said, “Unfortunately. But I did see my sister. Sherra took her!”

“What do you mean?” Amelia asked.

“What I said.” Scarlet relied irritably, “Sherra took her. They just vanished into thin air together! We have to find them!”

“Finding Miss Lina and Mr. Gourry is our top priority.”

Scarlet scowled, “Listen, whatever it is that Sherra wants with my sister isn’t good. And considering that Lina has an uncanny ability to find the source of the trouble, if we track them down, then we’ll also find Lina and Gourry.”

“Oh,” Amelia said as she shared a glance with Zelgadis, “That makes sense actually.”

* * *

Sherra felt a shrill of victory as she arrived with Violet at the site of the ancient ruins where the ritual would be performed and she realized that she had beaten Xellos there. Violet eyed the ruins, her eyes wide as she saw the assortment of monsters and demons gathered, many of whom did not even bother to hide their true form. 

“General Sherra?” Violet asked.

“Ah, Sherra, is this her?” A man with blue hair, wearing a military uniform said.

“Yes, my Lord Dynast. This is Violet Rubaka.” Sherra said, pleased with herself for having safely procured the vessel.

“Dynast…” Violet said, her voice weak. “Dynast Grausherra?”

He smiled, “I see I need no introduction.”

Violet looked as though her knees would fall out from under her. “No, it can’t be!”

“I’m afraid it is.” Sherra said. “Your sister was right about me, you know. You should have listened to her.”

“Hey Greater Beast!” Dynast said as he waved to a blonde woman who was watching the scene looking bored. “My minion got back before your minion!”

Greater Beast looked unfazed as she said, “Your minion had to fetch a brain washed idiot. Mine had to kill Lina Inverse. Something that yours failed miserably at.”

Dynast fumed as Violet stared at them in disbelief. “What do you want from me?” she asked.

“You’re going to help us resurrection our demon lord, Shabranigdo.” Sherra said reverently.

Violet shook her head, “I won’t do it! You’ll have to kill me!”

Sherra grinned, “Don’t worry about that. We will.”

* * *

Gourry was not in his usual good mood that morning. Once he had defeated Gunther he'd combed the city, finding only the evidence of a magical fight in some back alleyway where it looked as though Zelgadis must have casted the Dug Haut. As there was no body, Gourry assumed that Zelgadis must have won and survived and was probably some place in the city looking for the others as well. May be Amelia was with him. Hopefully she was. That was the only sign of what had happened to any of his friends that he had, however.

He had found a place to sleep, but it was a restless one. He was too worried about Lina to sleep peacefully. Horrible nightmares kept visiting him, and after only a few hours of broken sleep, he'd found himself up before even the street vendors were out looking for them. Only now he didn't have many other places to look.

Gourry had checked every inn at the city, and still no Lina. Each time he walked into one he half expected to see her sitting happily shoving vast quantities of food into her mouth and to see her turn and berate him for taking so long to find her. Each time, however, the inns had been desolately lacking in a particularly hungry sorceress, and his hope went down a notch.

He wandered through the streets of Kirva and wondered where to search next. He could go through the tunnels one by one and the cities they opened out into, but that would take weeks if not months, and if Lina were still alive, she at least knew the location of Kirva and would come back looking for him once her powers were restored. But what if she were hurt? What if she were captured?

He walked by the inn they had been in when they were attacked and stopped. It had been more of less demolished, but it had been the last place that they were all together at, and he hoped that one of the others would have thought to check there from time to time. Even though it had been completely boarded up, Gourry walked in anyway. It wasn't empty, but the person there was not the person that Gourry wanted to see.

Gourry sighed, "Gee, Gunther, don't you have something better to do?"

Gunther grinned mercilessly, drawing his sword, "Not until I defeat you."

 _He's worse than Zengululus, or whatever he was called._ Gourry thought as he drew his own sword.

Gunther charged, and Gourry met his blow head on. He drew back for a blow that would have contacted with Gunther's ribs, but as he expected, Gunther's blade was there to block it. "So, where are your friends now, Gourry?" Gunther sneered, "And why haven't I seen the resurrection of this Shabranigdo? Don't feed me more lies, you're after the Dukedom I know it!"

Gourry kept on fighting in silence. Nothing he said was going to persuade Gunther that he had no want of the Dukedom. Better place his concentration on the fight, the fight was all that mattered right now. He had to finish this quickly and find the others…

* * *

Though their demeanor was carefree, Amelia and Zelgadis were doing their best to ignore Scarlet as she lectured them about the time they were wasting in finding her sister. Given their injuries Amelia had insisted that they get some rest before leaving Kirva, and Scarlet reluctantly agreed. It wasn’t as if she knew where Violet had been taken. The next morning, in an effort to draw up some leads, Amelia had decided to canvass Kirva. While several people had said they’d seen someone resembling Gourry scouring the city as if in search of someone, he never seemed to be at the same place they were in at the same time. No one had seen or heard of Lina or Violet, though. True, Lina was a small, unremarkable person at first glance, but someone with her temper and eating habits tended to attract attention. But then, Lina had wanted to lay low…

Amelia sighed, and Zelgadis squeezed her hands. Amelia smiled to herself suddenly. She wasn't used to Zelgadis being so affectionate. At first he was slightly embarrassed about it, but he was slowly getting comfortable with it. He no longer blushed when she hugged him anymore and had finally gotten to the point where he didn't mind being seen publicly holding hands with her. To say that Zelgadis had been what was keeping her going would have been a drastic overstatement, but he did bring some light into her life during these dark times.

Zelgadis still couldn't believe how quickly things had changed between himself and Amelia. One moment he was convinced that all she did for him were simple acts of kindness and nothing more and the next they could have seemed like any average couple on a date. There wasn't anything average about them, though, and while Amelia's optimism helped him from sinking too deeply into a fit of depression, something about this situation was starting to weigh down on him. They were on their way to the inn that they were attacked in. Amelia had felt that there might be some clues there because it was the last place everyone had been seen at. And lacking any other leads, Scarlet had agreed.

The abandoned inn came into view, and unconsciously Zelgadis and Amelia picked up their pace, and Scarlet kept up without pausing in her tirade. What either of them wouldn't give to walk in and find Lina and Gourry sitting comfortably together, or just fighting over the last turkey wing, greeting them happily as if nothing had ever happened. It would be so nice to hear Lina berate them for worrying so much, to have to explain to Gourry just who Shabranigdo was again, to just have the group back together safely again.

Zelgadis's ears twitched as they neared the inn. He frowned and Amelia, sensing the change in his mood asked, "What is it Zelgadis?"

"There's someone fighting in there?"

Amelia smiled, "May be its Miss Lina and Mr. Gourry fighting for the last chicken wing!"

Zelgadis shook his head, "It sounds like a sword fight."

"Wha-at? A sword fight?" she asked, "But who would be having a sword fight in that abandoned inn?"

"There's only one way to find out," Zelgadis said, walking up to the door and opening it. His jaw dropped as it seemed that he saw two Gourrys in the room fighting with one another. He shut his mouth as he realized the other one there was not Gourry but his twin brother, Gunther. "Gourry!" Zelgadis said.

"Mr. Gourry!" Amelia said, clasping her hands together, happy at finding another member of the group, "You're all right!"

"Zel! Amelia! Scarlet!" Gourry said, relief rushing through him. At least he wasn't on his own anymore. He hated being on his own. He frowned though. Lina wasn't…"Lina? Is Lina with you?" he asked, his voice holding desperation neither Zelgadis nor Amelia had heard before.

Zelgadis and Amelia exchanged a sorrowful glance, "She's not with you then." Zelgadis said.

Gourry lowered his head, "No, we got separated when the demons attacked." He turned away from them before quickly adding, "I have no idea what happened to her."

Amelia walked up to him, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Oh, Mr. Gourry…"

Gourry took a deep breath and managed a smile, "I'm all right, Amelia."

"Is the reunion over?" Gunther asked, his voice scathing.

Gourry sighed, "Listen, Gunther, we really need to find Lina…"

"Accept it, Gourry, that demolition machine is dead, and it's probably for the better. I've heard a lot about that Inverse woman, spouting off Dragon Slaves left and right, uncaring of whichever town she destroys, turning beaches into toxic pools where fish no longer swim, too powerful for her own good, heck, she'd have probably ended up destroying the world one day herself if the monsters hadn't have gotten her first."

Gourry's hands clenched his sword tightly and he told himself not to give into his brother’s bantering. His father had told him over and over again never to strike in anger, and years of growing up with Gunther had taught him well. He'd been away too long, though, either that or he was even more upset than he had realized, "You bastard, you should be thanking Lina. She's saved the world three times over when all you've done is sat at home gripping about one thing or another. You have no right talking about her like that!"

Gunther launched into an attack then, catching Gourry off his guard and forcing him on the defense. Suddenly Scarlet muttered, “Oh we don’t have time for this!” and then she cast, “AERO BOMB!”

A slight gust of wind broke the men apart and Scarlet got in between them, looking livid as she stared Gunther down, “My sister is missing and I don’t have time for your bruised ego. So go back to your castle and take a break! Once we find my sister, then you can challenge him to as many sword fights as you like, but until then, put it away!”

Gunther’s eyebrows hit his hairline, and the others tensed as they wondered how he would respond. Finally he said, “Fine. Go find your sister.”

Scarlet nodded, and walked out the door, “Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis,” she said, without checking to see if they were following her.

The others sighed and filed out. Gourry groaned as Gunther grabbed his arm. “What is it now?”

Gunther looked at Scarlet, “What’s her name?”

Gourry frowned, “Who? Scarlet?”

“Scarlet,” Gunther said contemplatively, “Is she seeing anyone?”

* * *

"They're getting there," Zelena said, eyeing the blackened tree that Lina had hit with a Fireball. With her powers at peak capacity Lina would have had no problem reducing the tree to ash, but as it was, only some of her powers had returned. "Yeah," Lina agreed, "They should be back to their full strength by the time we reach Kirva tomorrow. Hopefully we won't run into trouble on the way."

Lina turned and started walking down the path to Kirva, "The problem is, trouble seems to follow wherever I tread." Lina shook her head, "Oh well, if we run into trouble, then we run into trouble. No point in worrying about it! Now, where's the nearest inn, I'm starving!"

"I'm afraid we'll have to camp out for tonight." Zelena said. "Kirva is the next town."

Lina sighed, and slumped forward, "And I was so hungry…"

They walked in silence until they reached the shelter of some trees and decided to camp out there. Zelena decided to take the first watch. Lina tried to sleep, but found herself tossing and turning. Her friends, particularly Gourry, were never far from her mind. 

She rolled on her side, trying to fight the rush of guilt that flooded through her at leaving them. But it was more than guilt keeping her up. Something felt wrong. And then the sense of wrongness grew to alarming proportions, along with a horrible sense of bloodlust, and she felt her stomach grow cold as she sat up and saw a man walking through the desert towards them. “Xellos.” Lina breathed as she stood up.

“My, my Miss Lina.” Xellos said as he approached them and Zelena reached for her sword. “That was an impressive feint! I must say, I am glad you’re not dead yet. That way would have been way too easy.”

“Zelena,” Lina said, “Cover me, but stay out of the way.”

“But…” she started.

"He's a monster. A powerful one at that. He’s not like the trolls you’re used to.”

“Oh.” Zelena said neutrally as Lina walked up to Xellos, “Fine, you wanna do this? Then let’s get this over with.”

Lina started chanting her boost spell rapidly as Xellos brought his rod up and unleashed a ball of energy at her. Lina dodged, “ZELAS BRID!” she cried.

The lasso of energy seemed weak, but it hurled its way towards Xellos, who threw his staff forward so the energy wrapped around it and pulled the rod to him. His eyes widened a bit in surprise as Lina moved forward with the spell, closer to him, rather than letting it die.

“Now, now,” Xellos said as he vanished into the astral plane, “I won’t have you getting close enough for your Sword of Darkness.”

Lina swore. He knew her fighting style too well! He also knew not to underestimate her, like so many members of his species did. “So you’re going to hide in the astral plane like a coward?” Lina snapped.

Xellos laughed as he appeared, shot a spell at her, and disappeared again. He moved rapidly, in and out through the astral plane, demanding Lina’s constant attention to dodge his attacks. He approached from the north, and then the west, and then the west again before approaching from the south, and then the east. Lina kept track, remembering something that Gourry had taught her when he was giving her pointers on her own swordfighting: vary your attack. She grinned as she noticed a pattern.

He always appeared in the pattern. North, west, west, south, east, and then north again. Once again, he appeared from the north. She dodged, and moved so she was facing the west. She ran forward, and rather than appearing behind her he appeared before her. “RAGNA BLADE!” Lina shouted as she tore through him and the pocket of the astral plane he had been hiding in. “Gotcha.” She said, even as she screamed as the energy from his own spell overpowered the defense shield from the Ragna Blade and burned her.

Lina collapsed to the ground as Xellos stared at her, half of his body torn apart and breathing heavily. “Lina!” Zelena cried, and Lina held her hand up, a signal to stay put as she looked at Xellos. 

“I always knew there was a reason I never wanted you to take us on.” Lina said as she breathed heavily, covered in burns.

“I think this has been quite illuminating.” Xellos said through ragged breaths. “Not quite a fight to the death, though you did wound me greatly. Perhaps if that Ragna Blade has been at full strength…”

Lina winced, “So you’re just going to finish me off then.”

Xellos smiled apologetically, “Don’t take this personally.”

And before she could say another word he hurled another burst of energy at her, spearing her through the chest. Zelena ran forward, “You bastard!”

But Xellos knelt down as the dust cleared. His wounds must have been grave. Lina’s body was still there. He put his hand to her throat. No pulse. She was dead. He smiled as Zelena ran up to her. And then he disappeared into the astral plane.

* * *

They had been sitting by the campfire after a fruitless day of searching for Scarlet’s sister. Gourry, Zelgadis, Amelia, Scarlet, and Gunther. Gourry wasn’t sure if Gunther was there to hit on Scarlet the moment her sister had been found or if he was there to make sure they could finish their fight, but for whichever reason, he was there. 

Suddenly Gourry went cold and felt as though someone had winded him as the sound became muted and the scene before him washed out. And in that moment he knew. Without saying a word he stood up and started walking.

“Gourry?” Zelgadis asked.

“Mr. Gourry?” Amelia said.

But Gourry said nothing as he continued walking. The others looked at each other in alarm as he walked out of the camp site without saying a word. In then they started calling after him as they followed him and left their campfire behind.

* * *

“Well you sure took your sweet time getting here.” Sherra said as Xellos appeared, obviously rather worse for the wear. Even though he had taken the night to recover from his wounds so he would be better prepared for the battle ahead he was still weak. But at least he could conceal it.

“I may be late to the party, but I accomplished what you could not.” Xellos said as he walked up to Greater Beast. “Lina Inverse is dead.”

“See, Xellos has never let me down yet.” Greater Beast said pointedly to Dynast. “Sherra brought the girl. Everything is ready.”

“What are you going to do?” Violet asked as she sat chained to some ancient column.

“Oh, I didn’t tell you?” Sherra said with a grin. “You’re one of the lucky humans who house a seventh of our Demon Lord Shabranigdo in their souls.”

“What!?” Violet exclaimed, “No, it can’t be me! I pulled out Dulgofa…”

“From the stone and didn’t turn into a monster.” Sherra finished. “Because you couldn’t turn into a monster since you already housed a monster in your soul.”

Violet went pale, and then her eyes set. She rammed her head onto the column as hard as she could.

“Stop her!” Greater Beast barked.

A hoard of monster grabbed her and held her still as Sherra arrived with the Philosopher’s Stone. “Now eat up!”

Violet tried to struggle, but she was forced to open her mouth and swallow the stone. The monsters took a step back as Violet started to scream. The ground started to shake and then to break as lightning crashed as the assorted monsters got down to one knee to welcome their lord. He awoke with a roar of pleasure as he tore himself through Violet’s body and awoke from his sleep. He looked at his minions and gazed directly at Xellos.

Shabranigdo had remembered the defeat that one seventh of him had suffered at the hands of Lina Inverse. Before he went out and destroyed the world, he had to know, "You," he said, "Tell me the fate of the human called Lina Inverse."

"Dead," Xellos said, "We wanted to make sure that no one would interfere in your resurrection, my lord." Xellos said, his head respectfully bowed.

"Fool!" Shabranigdo bellowed, "I wanted to battle with her myself. For a mere human to defeat a Dark Lord such as myself is truly a horrific feat. Only with Ceipheid was I so strongly challenged. I had hoped to fight her again, and to win this time, but it appears that the opportunity has been taken from me."

Displeasure ran thickly through his voice, yet Xellos did not waver, "If you like, my lord, two of the men that Lina Inverse battled with to defeat with you still reside in the city of Kirva. One Gourry Gabriev and Zelgadis Greywards. They have joined teams with a Seyruun princess, one Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun, a skilled magic user herself. I assure you, together they will provide you a fairly strong fight, my lord."

"Ah, the swordsman and the chimera," Shabranigdo said thoughtfully, "I remember them. Compared to the power that the girl wielded they were harmless. However, they would make the fitting first sacrifices of my rebirth. I do not consider the option an even trade, but it is acceptable. Now, follow my minions! The destruction of the world is now at hand!"


	24. XXX! No Cussing in this Title!

Zelena’s hands were shaking as she reached her hands out to examine Lina’s wounds. Her skin was so burnt she feared that just brushing it would cause the other woman tremendous pain. It was a stupid worry, though. For all intents and purposes, Lina was dead. Zelena put her head to her chest. No heartbeat. Zelena examined the chest wound. It looked as though it had barely missed Lina’s heart. She took a breath and put her hand over Lina’s heart, “MONO VOLT!”

Lina’s body spasmed, but nothing more. Zelena took another deep breath and tried again. Blood pulsed from her wound, but this time Lina drew a ragged breath. And then another. Without missing a beat Zelena started chanting Resurrection. She’d never had to use it on such a severe injury before and was scared it wouldn’t work. But if she did nothing, then Lina would certainly die. So she kept chanting and hoping.

* * *

Just as suddenly as Gourry had started walking through the desert, he just as suddenly stopped. For no apparent reason he sank to his knees as he stared off into the horizon. “Mr. Gourry?” Amelia said as she and Zelgadis caught up to him.

“Gourry.” Zelgadis said as they got a look at his face, which appeared grief stricken.

Scarlet and Gunther joined them as Gourry started taking some calming breaths. “What was that about?” Gunther asked.

Gourry shook his head, “I don’t know. I’m just being silly. Go on back to the campsite, I’ll be back in a moment.”

Gunther grunted, but when Scarlet turned around to head back he followed her. Meanwhile, Amelia put a hand on Gourry’s shoulder, “Is this about Miss Lina?”

“I don’t know.” He said, “One moment I could have sworn that she was dead. I felt it in my bones. But now, it seems everything is okay.” He tried to smile, “Being back in Elmekia just does weird stuff to me.”

Amelia looked uncertain, “But you think she’s okay now?”

“Yes, I do.” He said with a smile, “Strange, isn’t it?”

“I don’t think so.” Amelia said, and then she glanced at Zelgadis, “I guess we’d best get back to camp.”

* * *

When Lina woke up, she was lying on her bedroll with a blanket spread over her. Nearby, Zelena was sitting by a tree, keeping watch. Lina slowly sat up, “Zelena?”

Relief washed over the other woman’s features, “You’re alright. I wasn’t sure I could do it.”

Lina smiled, “I think you’ve been underestimating your magical ability.”

Zelena smiled, but before she could say anything, a shadow suddenly stretched over the land, and Lina felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. The clear sky darkened, and Lina sat up. "Oh no," she whispered. 

Zelena looked up, "What is it?"

Lina got up and started gathering her things, "We have to go immediately." She said.

"But why?" Zelena asked as she stood up.

"Because it's started," Lina said, "Shabranigdo's rebirth has begun."

* * *

The next morning everyone was awoken by the shaking of the earth. They sat up in their bedrolls and looked at each other in alarm. "An…earthquake?" Amelia asked.

Zelgadis gasped as he saw the darkening sky and a huge black cloud swarming directly at him. "It…can't be!" he yelled as he got up.

Gourry braced himself against the unsteady earth beneath his feet as he focused his senses on the source of the disturbance. This wasn't good. Amelia put her hand over her mouth as an overwhelming sense of evil assaulted her senses. She hadn't fought with Lina, Gourry and Zelgadis when Shabranigdo had first been reborn, but she had heard them talk about it often enough to realize that he must have risen again.

"What…what's happening?" Gunther asked.

"Shabranimbo." Gourry said.

"That's Shabranigdo." Zelgadis corrected automatically. The black cloud was growing larger, and the group could start to distinguish shapes in it. Monsters. More than they had ever seen before. Xellos was there, leading the pack, with Sherra close behind, and taking up the rear was none other than Shabranigdo himself. Zelgadis drew his sword, and he and Gourry took a defense posture. Amelia and Scarlet readied their hands. They would fight him, but none of them had the power to scratch him. Their only hope was Lina. But she was missing.

"Shabranigdo?" Gunther whispered. He took a few steps backwards, muttered something under his breath, and then he ran.

"Mr. Gunther?" Amelia asked.

"Pay him no mind, Amelia." Zelgadis said.

"Gunther was always nothing but talk," Gourry said. 

But Gunther was not the only one with a surprise move up his sleeve. Scarlet daringly walked away from the group and to Sherra, seemingly unperturbed by the fact that she was surrounded by a hoard of high ranking monsters as she said, “Where is my sister?” 

Sherra grinned, and pointed at Shabranigdo, “Over there.”

Scarlet looked confused, “What are you talking about?”

“Didn’t you know?” Sherra asked, “She housed a seventh of Shabranigdo in her soul. And we awakened him.”

“No.” Scarlet said as her eyes flashed, “It can’t be! Violet was so pure.”

Sherra laughed, “Violet was never pure. The reason she pulled Dulgofa out of the stone unharmed was because her true nature prevented her from being turned into a monster. You can’t turn into a monster when you already are one, after all.”

Scarlet's hands bunched up together into fists, “Bring her back!”

“It’s not possible.” Sherra said.

“She’s right.” Zelgadis said, “The only thing to do now is to kill Shabranigdo.”

“That’s cold, even for you!” Scarlet snapped.

“Fine,” Zelgadis said, “If you want to sit this one out, then do so. But stand out of our way so we can do what must be done.”

“I won’t let you kill her!” Scarlet said as she moved in between them and Shabranigdo.

“She’s already dead!” Zelgadis said, his voice heavy with exasperation.

“Sherra, keep her occupied.” Shabranigo said, “I’ll take these three on.”

Sherra grinned, and launched an attack on Scarlet, who barely put a shield up in time to deflect it. Sherra launched a fierce volley, quickly getting Scarlet on the defensive and separating her from the group, leaving Gourry, Zelgadis and Amelia to face Shabrangido. Gourry suddenly sighed, "I wish Lina were here."

Amelia and Zelgadis nodded. It wasn't simply her ability to cast the Giga Slave that was needed, but it was her leadership. Of the group she had the best chance of getting through to Scarlet and convincing her to fight with them. Something about Lina’s own strength and determination, her stubborn will and her refusal to lay down and die and her schemes that tended to bring about success inspired a confidence and fighting spirit that compelled people to follow her in the battlefield, and so far, they had always managed to come out alive.

"Lina might not be here, but we can still fight as she would have wanted us to." Zelgadis said.

"Exactly!" Amelia said, "If we fight with a heart full of Justice, there's no way that we could let Miss Lina down!"

"I quite agree," a new voice said. Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadis glared at Xellos as he smiled smugly at them, "There is no way that you can let Lina down…Not now at least."

"What…what are you saying?" Amelia asked.

Xellos grinned, and reach into his pouch and pulled a bundle out. He undid it, and scraps of Lina's clothing, jewelry and money fell to the ground. Amelia gasped, the color drained from Gourry's face and Zelgadis let out an, "It can't be…"

"You see, there is no way you can let Lina down now because she's dead, and she wouldn't know it even if you did let her down, right?"

The news hit Gourry with all the force of a tsunami and sent him falling to his knees. So he had felt it when she had died. And where had he been? Miles away! He’d even given up searching for her. Some protector he’d turned out to be. Without realizing what he was doing, his hand moved of its own will to the pile where Lina's few remaining items lay. He picked up one of the golden earrings that lay there and held it, looking at it dumbly. This couldn't be all that was left of someone who had been larger than legend, someone who had defeated monsters and Dark Lords and who had saved the world four times over. This couldn't be all that was left of a woman he had sworn to protect for the rest of his life, the woman who gave his life a sense of purpose and direction, even if it was to follow her wherever she went. She had made him feel needed, and no one had ever done that before.

Though she could hold her own against bandits and monsters and Dark Lords, it wasn't always the place where Lina faced the greatest of dangers. She often faced the greatest of dangers from herself. Her act first, think later attitude, her tendency to start fights, the way she pushed people away when she needed them the most. Gourry could at times get her to stop her reckless behavior, pounding in a bit of common sense into her from time to time, not to mention prevent a few fights that would surely have broken out without his interference. And he took pride in the fact that he was one of the few people she felt comfortable confiding in. Everyone needed an ear to listen and a shoulder to cry on.

But now he didn't have to worry about it. Where he had succeeded as her protector on one level he had failed miserably on the other level. He hadn't been there when she needed it most, and because of his failure she was no longer here. His hands clenched into fists as tears streamed down his face for the woman he respected and admired more than any other in the world, despite her faults, because of her faults, even. Without them she wouldn't be the dazzling flame of light that took the greatest of risks and always came out ahead, except in that one case. And now it looked as though all of her hard work would come to nothing. Without her magical power there was no way they could beat Shabranigdo. All of her, their, hard work had been in vain. In the end, they had only succeeded in delaying the inevitable.

Amelia sobbed as she put her hands to her face. Like Gourry she couldn't bring herself to herself to believe that Lina could be dead. Unlike Gourry, she had had a lot more conviction in the belief that she still had to be alive. A Justice loving person such as Lina couldn't have given into evil, she couldn't have died. Allies of Justice didn't die in the middle of battles.

_Mother was assassinated._ The thought came from nowhere, as the tide of an older pain washed through her. Her mother had been on the side of Justice as well, and it hadn't protected her. Shortly thereafter her sister had abandoned her as well, and all Amelia had was her father to look up to and follow. Then she had run into Miss Lina, and in the woman Amelia had found a blazing force to look up to and follow. Yes, some of Lina's actions where questionable, but when push came to shove Lina had always done what was right.

Over time, the woman who had been a shining example of the power of Justice to Amelia had turned into something unexpected. Lina had turned into a surrogate sister. Allowing Amelia to follow her on adventures, dressing the boys up in drag, sharing secrets and jokes, confiding in the other, comforting the other. Amelia had never forgotten how surprisingly concerned Lina was for her when it was believed that her father had been killed, visiting her and trying to cheer her up.

She stifled a scream, her hands balling up in fists as she felt her Visfarank spell congregate there uncalled. She had lost another sister in the most unjust of circumstances, and she would not stand for it. Justice was always with her, and Justice would prevail and…Justice hadn't helped Miss Lina when she needed it the most. Amelia looked up at the legions of monsters before her backed by the dark lord Shabranigdo and her confidence wavered. Would Justice bring them through this?

Zelgadis felt the anger rising in him as he watched Lina's few remaining possessions fall to the earth, watched as the swordsman fell with them, head bowed and crying, fingering Lina's remaining earring. Amelia, struggling with the conflict that the sorceress's death proved with her faith in Justice. His own hands balled up into fists as he remembered the persistent woman who went to odd lengths just to get him to crack a smile, and who, though she often chose a bad way of trying, attempted and succeeded in making feel like a valued and accepted member of the team, not to mention a friend, despite his freakish appearance.

And now she was gone, and with her, the battle might as well have been gone. Without her strong spells there was just no way…

The monsters made way for a path and Shabranigdo, feasting off the feelings of sorrow and pain, betrayal and anger, moved towards them. He was hoping that they would at least try to fight him, they were so much more fun that way…

Gourry looked up as he saw death coming towards him. His hand gripped his sword as he remembered something Lina had said a long time ago when they had first fought Shabranigdo, "She fights to win." He whispered.

Amelia looked up, confused. Zelgadis looked at the swordsman, memories flooding back to him of Lina berating the two of them for fighting Shabranigdo prepared to lose. "That's right," Zelgadis said, "Like she said, it’s pointless going into a battle prepared to lose."

"Huh?" Amelia asked.

"Lina once said that if you go into a hopeless battle prepared to lose, you've just sealed your fate. If you go in prepared to win, you at least have a small chance." Gourry said, smiling as he got up and raised his sword, "And when Lina goes into a fight, she goes in prepared to win. That's how she did it, that's how she managed to do all she did, and I'm not going to let her accomplishments die in vain! I'm going to fight to win, for Lina!"

"That's right!" Zelgadis said, readying his hands for spell casting, "For Lina!"

"For Miss Lina!" Amelia said, jumping into the air and striking a dramatic pose.

Shabranigdo laughed, "So, you've decided to fight! Good! It would have been a pity otherwise. Now, foolish mortals, feel the terror and despair of defeat!"

Gourry, Zelgadis and Amelia stood back to back in an endless sea of monsters. There was simply too many of them. Zelgadis and Amelia had erected a shield around them, but it was only a matter of time before it failed under the constant bombardment it was under. Shabranigdo laughed, "Enough, my minions. I shall finish them off myself! Watch and witness the first sacrifices to my rebirth!"

In response, the monsters dropped their attack and backed off to the sidelines. Amelia and Zelgadis dropped their shield, readying their arms. Gourry raised his sword, and, sounding a battle cry, charged forward at Shabranigdo. He jumped and lifted his sword high and bore it down on Shabranigdo. From somewhere behind him he heard Zelgadis and Amelia shout, "RA TILT!"

Their combined Ra Tilt hit Shabranigdo just as Gourry's sword did, and Shabranigdo howled. For a heart pounding moment they were deceived into thinking that may be the combined power of Amelia and Zelgadis' Ra Tilt added to the power of the Blast Sword might just have been enough to defeat Shabranigdo, but were let down as Shabranigdo threw Gourry off him, sending him crashing at his friends’ feet.

Shabranigdo laughed, "A valiant effort, indeed. This has been more fun than I expected. You have proved yourself sacrifices worthy of me."

Gourry stood up, "Sorry, pal, but we've got other plans."

"That's right!" Amelia said, "With truth, love, and Justice we shall defeat you! Now, feel the power of our Justice!"

"Don't expect a Justice speech to hold someone as powerful as myself back, girl. It is foolish indeed."

The three exchanged glances and were about to attack again when Shabranigdo struck first. Streams of energy radiated from him, and Zelgadis and Amelia knew that no shield of theirs could ever hope to hold it back. The three jumped out of the way, only to find another one approaching their new position. "RAY WING!" Zelgadis and Amelia yelled, grabbing Gourry as they did. Shabranigdo's power spiraled around him, bursting into a supernovae, spreading in circular patterns around him, knocking the group from the sky, causing them to land hard on the ground.

The three tried to stand, straining hard with the effort of just trying to sit up. Shabranigdo readied himself to throw another energy burst at them. Zelgadis found Amelia and pulled her close to him. She clung to him tightly, head buried into his chest. It looked to be the end after all. There was no way that they could dredge up the power to defeat him. Gourry managed to raise his head as he tried to stand. If he just had a moment to catch his breath, just one moment…But Shabranigdo wasn't going to give it to him. He lowered his head. "I'm sorry Lina." He whispered.

A battle cry sounded, and Gourry, Zelgadis and Amelia looked up. "Can it be?" Zelgadis asked. Gourry's mouth dropped, and Amelia smiled, "Mr. Gunther!" she said.

Over the hill, Gunther Gabriev sat on a majestic white horse, sword raised. Behind him were legions of Elmekia's finest soldiers and even a few sorcerers and sorceresses he had managed to dredge up. "Charge!" Gunther yelled, and the legions of troops poured down the hill to challenge the monsters and Shabranigdo.

Gunther ran up to the group, flashing a smile and winking at Gourry, "You honestly think I'd let our homeland be ravaged by a monster, now did you Gourry?" he said, taking in the befuddled expression on his brother's face.

Gourry smiled, "Well, come to think of it, no."

Gunther held out a hand to help Gourry up, which he accepted. Gunther dismounted from his horse and stood beside Gourry, unsheathing his sword, "You were right about this menace, Gourry. This one time, at least, we will fight on the same side."

Gourry dropped into a defense stance as he prepared to battle Shabranigdo once more, "Let's show these monsters what happens when they confront the warriors of the Elmekian Empire!"


	25. Yes! The Legion of Magic Users!

Scarlet cried out in frustration as Sherra drove her further and further from the main action. Every time Scarlet tried to run back to the group, Sherra would unleash another volley of energy and it was all Scarlet could do to defend herself. Scarlet knew she had to get Sherra on the defensive, she had to do something. But her thoughts were so consumed with her sister that she couldn’t formulate a plan of attack. All she could do was defend.

_Think!_ She told herself, _If you use the…_

But once again her eyes darted to where she had last seen the group. They were specks in the distance now, only noticeable by the occasional explosion. Her stomach twisted as she wondered what was happening. The hair of the back of Scarlet’s neck rose, and she rushed to throw a shield in front of her.

Too late. Scarlet screamed as the spell caught her legs and she crumbled to the ground. She just managed to get another shield up as another volley came at her. Dust rose, choking her lungs, and her heart raced. Through the dust she saw Sherra’s silhouette coming closer to her.

Scarlet couldn’t move. Her legs were broken. For a heart stopping moment she realized that this was it when suddenly Sherra stopped walking and looked behind her. Then she dodged to the left as Lina appeared from nowhere, bringing the Ragna Blade down where Sherra had been.

“Nice try.” Sherra said as Lina pulled the sword back and assumed a fighting stance. “You’re supposed to be dead, you know.”

“Do you really think I’d stay dead if I knew your kind was resurrecting Shabranigdo?” Lina asked with a grin.

“Or perhaps Xellos isn’t as competent as he thinks he is.” Sherra said, “You know, this actually makes me very happy. Lord Shabranigdo will be glad to hear it, too. He was very disappointed when he’d learned he’d lost the opportunity to face you on the battlefield again.”

“ZELAS BRID!” Scarlet yelled as she drove the lasso of energy towards Sherra, who yelped as it hit her. Lina’s eyes flashed, and she wasted no time in hurling her sword over her head and bringing it down on Sherra. Sherra cried out and then abruptly vanished.

Lina swore as she collapsed to the ground, “I think she got away. I was so certain we’d nabbed her that time!”

Zelena came up from behind Lina, “I’d better dole out the healing spells. It looks like there’s a fight in the distance.”

Lina looked at Scarlet, “Shabranigdo?”

Scarlet brushed the tears from her eyes and shook her head, “I don’t want to say.”

“Huh?” Lina said as Zelena walked over to Scarlet, “First thing, at the risk of sounding heartless, you’d better heal me first, Zelena. The faster I can get to the group the faster I can take Shabranigdo down. Scarlet can wait.”

“Oh.” Zelena said as she walked back to Lina while Scarlet burst into a sob.

Lina looked at Scarlet steadily as Zelena started her healing spell, “Fill me in. I need as much information as possible.”

Scarlet took a deep breath, “You have a sister.”

“Huh?” Lina said.

“Goodness, I’m such a mess right now.” Scarlet shook her head, “You can’t kill Shabranigdo. They resurrected him from my sister. There has to be a way to turn her back!”

Lina briefly looked at the ground, “It’s not possible, Scarlet. Your sister died the moment Shabranigdo was reborn.”

“There has to be a way. Think, Lina, if that were Luna…”

“Then I would have to think of what Luna would want me to do. And that wouldn’t be letting her destroy the world.” Lina said, and then her mouth turned into a bittersweet smile, “If you don’t believe me, ask Violet yourself when you rejoin us. As for me, I’m going to do what I have to do to protect the world.”

Lina stood up and dusted herself off, “Thanks, Zelena. You can heal Scarlet now. I’ll likely see you on the battlefield soon.”

“Lina!” Scarlet cried futilely as Lina raced to the group.

* * *

Zelgadis and Amelia got up, slightly dazed by the change in events. The Elmekian's arrival had bought them some more precious time, and they had to think of a way to make it count. Unfortunately, Shabranigdo seemed to grab the reigns first, “Take the rest of them down, but leave the three most powerful to me!”

An oppressive sense of bloodlust rose through the air, thick enough to taste as the monsters descended upon the human. And though they were armed with swords, they were of no use against astral beings. Soon the field was covered in the blood of Gunther’s men.

"This isn't a battle," Zelgadis said as his stomach turned, "This is a slaughter."

"May be if we get the magic users here we might be able to use the combined power of several spells to hit Shabranigdo at once to defeat him." Amelia said.

"But how do we get them all over here?" he asked, "Most of them have got their hands full with fighting the monsters."

"Are you going to fight, or are you going to talk?" Shabranigdo bellowed, and Amelia and Zelgadis turned to face him, readying their hands for a fight.

"ASTRAL VINE!" Zelgadis yelled, drawing his sword. Gourry, Zelgadis and Amelia charged Shabranigdo. "RA TILT!" Zelgadis yelled, directing the power through his sword, combining it with the Astral Vine and he stabbed Shabranigdo. The Dark Lord screamed, the scream intensifying as Amelia hit him with a Ra Tilt. Gourry was next, his Blast Sword landing on Shabranigdo's shoulder, nicking it a bit as white dust sprayed forth from the wound.

"What?" Shabranigdo bellowed.

Gourry, Zelgadis and Amelia exchanged hope filled glances. They had nicked him. The stress of their combined attacks had nicked Shabranigdo! They prepared themselves to hit him again when Shabranigdo, realizing that these mere humans might actually have a chance against them, held nothing back as he threw energy beams every which way at them. They were numerous and many, leaving the group little else to do but dodge and scatter, occasionally being nicked or knocked to the ground by the sheer power of the energy thrown at them. Shabranigdo laughed as one by one they collapsed to the ground, overcome and exhausted by his great power. They had fought extremely well for mere humans. A pity there weren't more like them, this was rather fun.

“Lord Shabranigdo!” Sherra cried as she suddenly appeared in front of him, looking a little worse for the wear. Her face looked strange, as though it had been cleaved. Seeing a monster injured was always such a surreal experience. Wounds that would have finished a human they could continue to function with.

Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadis carefully got up, marveling at this new reprieve as Shabranigdo looked at Sherra with annoyance. “What is it?”

“Lina Inverse is alive, and she is headed this way.” Sherra grinned, “Xellos failed in his mission.”

“How?” Xellos asked as his eyes opened in surprise, “She was quite dead when I left her.”

“How long until she gets here?” Shabranigdo asked as Gourry felt himself go shaky with relief as Amelia clutched Zelgadis’ hand.

“Mere minutes.”

Gourry looked at Zelgadis and Amelia, “Now.”

“RA TILT!” Zelgadis and Amelia both cried as Gourry raced towards Shabranigdo and slashed at him with the Blast Sword again.

Shabranigdo groaned, and then seemed to explode with a powerful, three hundred and sixty-degree energy blast. Gourry brought his sword in front of him to cut the spell, and fortunately Zelgadis and Amelia fell in behind him, the heat from the spell burning. When it dissipated, Shabranigdo was still standing, formidable as ever.

“Dammit, we could throw Ra Tilts at him all day and it wouldn’t matter.” Zelgadis said.

“All we need to do is keep him on the ropes. Lina will be here soon.” Gourry said, his voice filled with hope.

Shabranigdo suddenly sounded a strange, horrible cry. Fear seized the group, but it dissipated as the monsters stopped fighting to look at him. “Sherra has informed me that Lina Inverse lives!”

“Explain this then!” Sherra said, pointing out her wound, “Unless you think a ghost can cast the Ragna Blade.”

“Enough.” Shabranigdo said, “I want to fight her again, and I want everyone to be at full strength. This will be a temporary ceasefire.”

And then the field was devoid of monsters as they fell back to the astral plain. “What the…” Gunther said as he stared incredulously at where the army had been. “But they were winning.”

“Monsters are prideful creatures.” Amelia explained.

“And let’s not look this gift horse in the mouth.” Zelgadis said.

“Help me with the wounded.” Amelia said.

* * *

Lina felt a wave of relief wash through her as she could discern her friends from a distance, and then she felt slightly sick as she realized they were walking among rows of the wounded. Or dead. Where had this army come from? And more importantly, where had Shabranigdo gone?

She started to run faster, and she noticed the moment that Gourry turned and looked in her direction. Swiftly he started running to her, closing the distance between them even faster. Finally they reached each other, grabbing the other into a firm embrace. 

“Lina!” he exclaimed, “You’re alright! Xellos told me he killed you. And I felt it, I was so certain…”

She stroked his hair, “Shh.”

“But he had your stuff.” He said.

“I just did that to throw him off.” Lina said casually as she pulled back to look at him. “You forgive me, don’t you?”

He shook his head, “But I felt it, I felt it when you died.”

Lina sighed and looked at the ground, “I guess I can’t fool you then. Okay, fine, he killed me, but Zelgadis’ sister was there, and she worked fast and got my heart started again. And here I am.”

He looked at her for a few moments with an inscrutable expression on his face, then he moved his forehead to touch hers briefly, “I’m just glad you’re okay.” He brushed his lips against hers, and then pulled her closer for a deeper kiss that was all to brief, “Just stay that way, okay? I love you, you know.”

Lina squeezed his hands, “Back at you.”

"Miss Lina!" Amelia said, running to Lina's side and enveloping her in an embrace, "You're all right!"

"Amelia!" Lina said, relief washing through her as she saw Zelgadis behind Amelia, "Zel…You're all right." She said as she hugged Amelia back. She'd been just as worried about them as they had been about her. Lina would have never forgiven herself if something had happened to them because she had abandoned them, but they were all here, and they were all fine. Amelia pulled away. "I'm all right, Amelia." Lina said, and then she grinned at Zelgadis, “Thanks to your sister.”

“Zelena?” he asked.

“Yeah, I ended up in Trespin.” Lina said casually, “And don’t worry about her, she’s healing Scarlet. They’ll be here soon.”

“So everyone’s okay,” Amelia said with a smile, and then she stood up and ran to Zelgadis and threw her arms around him. Gourry and Lina turned, jaws wide open as they watched Zelgadis return the embrace and stoop down to kiss her.

"When did those two get together?" Lina asked.

Gourry smiled as he wrapped his arm around her, "You know, I was so worried about you, that I have no idea!"

“Okay, reunion’s over, we need to figure out a strategy.” Lina said all brisk like.

“You’re right.” Gourry said, “But first…”

His voice trailed off as he pulled out her earring from his pocket and put it back on her ear. He ran his hands through her hair and smiled at her. “Thought you should have this back.”

“Thanks.” She said. “Now, what’s this about Shabranigdo being resurrected from Scarlet’s sister?”

* * *

Minutes after Lina arrived, Zelena came to the field with a dejected looking Scarlet. “Brother!” Zelena called as she found Zelgadis sitting with Amelia as they worked together to heal the wounded.

Zelgadis smiled a little as he went up to hug his sister, “I’m surprised to see you again.”

“I hope it’s a pleasant surprise.”

“Where’s Shabranigdo?” Scarlet asked.

“We’re in the midst of a ceasefire.” Lina said, “I don’t think it will last much longer, though.

"Zelena." Gourry said as he walked up to the swordswoman, speaking quietly enough that he thought that Lina wouldn't hear. "Thank you for saving her."

Zelena smiled, patting Gourry on the shoulder as Lina blushed. "It was the right thing to do." She said. Gourry stood beside Lina, watching her contentedly. They weren't out of this yet, but the prospects of survival suddenly seemed greater. Besides, this way he at least got to see her again.

"So, what’s the plan for defeating Shabranigdo." Zelgadis asked, and then he cast a spell to activate the Jewel of Rajah, and Amelia followed up with a White Magic spell.

Lina frowned. The only spell that she really had a chance of using to defeat Shabranigdo with was the Giga Slave, but if she fired that spell she could destroy the whole world if she miscast it. However, if Shabranigdo defeated her, he would destroy the whole world. She hated this, she absolutely hated damned if you do, damned if you don't scenarios. There had to be another way…

But it was more than the usual damned if you do, damned if you don’t. From what she’d learned from the group, she wasn’t just facing Shabrangdo, but pretty much the entire monster race. If she used the Giga Slave, she could only stop one monster. What if the other monsters decided not to let their leader’s death go unavenged?

Lina watched as the magical energy from the Jewel of Rajah healed a wounded soldier who certainly would have perished without the intervention and wondered if they were just delaying the inevitable.

“Perhaps we don’t have to kill him.” Scarlet said, “Perhaps the Jewel of Rajah…”

“Not even the Jewel of Rajah can bring people back from the dead.” Lina said, marveling at the depths of Scarlet’s denial.

Scarlet bowed her head and did not even seem to register as Gunther put a hand on her shoulder. “You must think I’m being rather silly.” Scarlet said.

“I think you’re grieving.”

Scarlet sighed, “You’re right, loathe though I am to admit it. Perhaps I ought to sit this one out.”

Lina looked at her contemplatively, “No. I think you need to stay in the game.”

“Miss Lina?” Amelia said, “That’s cruel.”

But Zelgadis was looking at Lina thoughtfully, “No, I think I know where she’s going with this. But even then, it’s going to be one hell of a battle.”

“Well, that’s never stopped us from winning before.” Lina said.

"It seems as though if we hit him enough with many types of high level magic spells he seems to weaken." Zelgadis said.

"The problem is keeping him from using the full extent of his power this time." Lina said, "Gunther, how many of the magic users survived?"

"Ten. Five are proficient in Black Magic, four in Shamanist Magic, and one in White Magic." Gunther said.

Lina nodded, "I see. I want those proficient in Black Magic to hold a shield barrier against Shabranigdo, then, as they can’t exactly use a Dragon Slave against him. I want those proficient in Shamanist Magic throwing a combined Ra Tilt at him, and I want the one proficient in White Magic to cast recovery spells as needed. We need everyone at full strength if we are to defeat Shabranigdo.”

“I’m not sure that the other monsters will let them attack him. He’s only interested in fighting you, Gourry and Zelgadis.” Gunther pointed out.

"I know.” Lina acknowledged, “However, we need to target the most powerful first and throw everything we have at him. Gunther, you and your troops hold the other monster's at bay. I know it will be difficult fighting them as you have no magical capabilities of your own, but do your best to dodge them. Have the magic users amplify your swords with some magic spells. It won’t be much use, but it’s better that nothing. Zelena, you help him. Zel, I want you to cast a Ra Tilt through your sword again. Amelia, you cover him so that Zel has a chance to get close to him, and then hit him with a Ra Tilt of your own. Gourry, hit him with your sword where Zel and Amelia's spells seem to be taking the most effect. When all of you have hit him with all that you've got I want everyone to cast a shadow snap at Shabranigdo, pinning him in place. I'm not sure if it will prevent him from slipping to the astral plane, but it's worth a shot. When that happens, I'll use my Ragna Blade. While I'm doing that, I want everyone hitting him with the strongest spell they've got! Amelia, Zel, after I've cast the Ragna Blade use the jewel to heal me. If this doesn't work, I'm going to need my strength back to cast that spell." Lina said.

"The Giga Slave?" Amelia asked, her voice a whisper.

Lina nodded, and the circle got quiet. After a few moments, Gunther got up to prepare his troops. Zelena went with him, and shortly thereafter ten sorcerers and sorceresses came to the group. Lina got them in the defense parameter she'd chosen, and once that was finished, there was nothing more for her to do but sit and wait.

She hated waiting.

Then she caught sight of Scarlet, who was sitting on the ground in shock. She sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder, “It might seem cruel of me now, but once we survive this, you’ll understand.” 

Before Scarlet could respond, a familiar figure appeared before her. "Xellos." Lina sneered.

"Well, well, Miss Lina, I had to see it to believe it!” he said. “Tell me, how did you come back from the dead?”

“It helps to have a good healer handy.”

“Ah,” Xellos said as other monsters started popping in from the astral plane around them, “Then let the record stand that I did kill you, you just didn’t stay dead. Which means I did complete my job. My orders included nothing about ensuring that you stayed deceased.”

Lina’s eyebrow twitched, “You’re worried about your reputation at a time like this!”

“For a monster, our reputation is everything.”

Lina glared at him, and then her eyes widened as she looked at what was hanging on his neck. The Philosopher's Stone. Lina knew that she had to get the stone from him, or he would simply wait until her time of the month came again to resurrect another portion of Shabranigdo. Her hand went to her short sword, charging it with magical power, "SHADOW SNAP!" she yelled, throwing the sword at Xellos's shadow, pinning him to the ground.

"Huh?" he asked, his eyes widening in surprise. Quicker than he could follow, Lina reached and grabbed the stone from his neck and pocketed it. She hadn't been killing bandits for the past seven years without picking up a few of their tricks, after all. Xellos looked at her, his eyes narrowing, "Do you really think that you will survive this one, Lina?" he asked.

Lina shrugged, "I don't know," she said, congregating a spell in her hand and grabbing the stone, "But either way, I'm not going to risk it. FIREBALL!" she said, effectively destroying the stone. The light from her Fireball caused Xellos's shadow to disappear momentarily, releasing him from the Shadow Snap. Lina snatched up her sword and sheathed it, "Now," she said, her voice low, “Is your boss ready to bring it on?"

Xellos grinned as Shabranigdo appeared from behind him, “Oh yes. It’s time to finish this!”


	26. Zip! It Was All a Piece of Cake!

Shabranigdo wasted no time in hitting them with a fierce barrage of energy, and the Black Magic users threw up a shield barrier, protecting the group. Xellos and the other monsters launched a fierce attack, battering the shield with their energy. 

The Shamanist Magic users walked to the barrier of the shield, stepping outside briefly to cast Ra Tilts and Elmekia Lances before they returned back to the safety of the shield. As agreed, Zelgadis charged at Shabranigdo as Amelia covered him, his sword raised, glowing red with his Astral Vine enchantment. He cast a Ra Tilt through it once more and slammed it into Shabranigdo's body. Amelia cast her own Ra Tilt, and Gourry came seemingly out of nowhere to add his own blade to it.

"Now!" Lina yelled, and the Shamanist Magic users threw Shadow Snaps at Shabranigdo. Lina didn't wait to see whether or not it was effective, she didn't have the time to waste. She had to cast the Ragna Blade now, before it was too late. Shabranigdo laughed as Lina started chanting, "Lord of the dreams that terrify, sword of cold and darkness, free yourself from the Heaven's bonds, become one with my power, one with my body, and let us walk the path of destruction together! Power that can smash even the souls of the Gods! RAGNA BLADE!" she yelled as she leapt forward. Shabranigdo threw an energy burst at her and knocked her from the air, causing her to fall to ground, the spell dying in her hands.

Lina moaned as the blood seeped through her clothing to the earth all around her as she marveled at how she wasn’t even able to get close to him! He was so powerful that not even the shield her spell generated could fully protect her. Gourry, Zelgadis, Amelia and Scarlet ran to her side. Lina's eyes were closed, but her breathing was steady. She was simply trying to block out the pain that coursed through her body. Gourry took her hand, and she squeezed it tightly. Amelia took out the Jewel of Rajah and Zelgadis activated it. Amelia threw in her White Magical power.

“Violet, please!” Scarlet suddenly cried, “I know you’re in there! You must put a stop to this madness!”

While no one replied, Shabranigdo became strangely immobilized, allowing Amelia and Zelgadis enough time to heal Lina. Once done, Gourry helped her to stand up, and the four turned to watch. Shabranigdo howled ferociously and let out an energy burst, surreal in its power, terrifying in its magnitude as it tore through the shield of the Black Magic user's like paper, claiming their lives with it. The Shamanist Magic users put up a stronger shield barely in time, but there was no way it was going to withstand another energy burst. Most of the sorcerers and sorceresses had been knocked off their feet by the mere force of stopping the blast! 

“No!” Scarlet screamed. “Violet!”

“Scarlet, you have to stop us!" Violet said, her voice coming from Shabranigdo. “I should have listened to you when you tried to warn me about Sherra…”

“I should have tried harder to knock some sense into you!” Scarlet responded, her voice heavy with tears.

Violet laughed tiredly, “It wouldn’t have worked. I was so sold on being humanity’s savior I lost all perspective. I’m afraid I’m leaving you with quite the mess to clean up.”

Scarlet smiled bitterly, “It’s only because of all that you’ve taught me that I can see how to do so in the first place. Even if it is the hard thing to do.”

Meanwhile, Lina looked to Gourry, Zelgadis and Amelia and said. “I have to use that spell.”

“I know.” Gourry said quietly.

"Miss Lina," Amelia said as she held up a small jewel in her hand, "You dropped this when you fell." 

"People are dying and you're worried about something I dropped?" Lina snapped as she took the Jewel of Ahapta from Amelia.

"Well, it was so deadly you didn't want it getting in the wrong hands, so I thought…"

"Wait a minute," Lina said as an idea formed in her mind, "The Jewel of Ahapta. It looks a lot like the Jewel of Rajah. Sorcerer Keran said that he had tried to control the power of the Jewel of Ahapta on his own and lost control over it, but what if it doesn't work that way? What if it works like the Jewel of Rajah?"

"But…but the Jewel of Ahapta wiped out Ullis City!" Amelia said as she glanced over at where Scarlet was talking to Shabranigdo-Violet to make sure they were still preoccupied.

"I know!" Lina said, “By trapping its residents on the astral plane. This will kill two birds with one stone.”

“I’m not following.” Gourry said.

“Nothing new there,” Lina moaned.

“The other monsters.” Zelgadis said, “The inhabitants of Ullis City became trapped between this world and the astral plane when Sorcerer Keran used the jewel. If we trap the monsters there, then we won’t have to worry about fighting them when and if we destroy Shabranigdo.”

“Bingo.” Lina said.

“But monsters are so much more powerful than humans.” Gourry pointed out, “Would this really keep them out of our world?”

“Likely, no. But if we’re lucky they wouldn’t be able to appear in this area, they’d have to move to an area unaffected by the jewel to enter our world, or the astral world again. It would give us the time we need to disperse, and hope they don’t come after us seeking revenge.”

“But what about the other people here?” Zelgadis asked.

“I have an idea,” Lina said, and then she stepped forward, eyes narrowed as she advanced on Shabranigdo, "Hey, Shabranigdo, you want another round, because I have one final challenge for you! Or are you not tough enough to take on a mere human?" 

"I would be a fool to mistake you, one who has already defeated a seventh of me as well as my ghost, for a mere human, but as I wish to go up against you again to assure my supremacy, I shall accept your challenge."

“Then let’s do it like we did it before!” Lina said, “The other sorcerers and swordsmen get to go home now and your minions will leave them unharassed. It will just be Gourry, Zel, Amelia and me to take you down!”

“The girl wasn’t here last time.”

“Yeah, but I want her here this time!” Lina snapped, “Or are you too afraid to take us four on?”

“Five,” Scarlet said, “I’m staying as well.”

“Five then.” Lina said.

“Hardly.” Shabranigdo said, “I accept your challenge.”

Shabranigdo roared once more, and the monsters crowded around him, “Stand down. We’re letting the humans go. We’ll come for their town later once we defeat these four.”

“Do you think we’re going to let you walk away?” Gunther asked.

“Yes!” Lina said, “You are! So get going!”

Gunther looked at Gourry incredulously, who smiled as he said, “Trust me, it’s easier to just do what she says.”

“Look, if we can’t stop him here, you’re going to need to get Kirva prepared, because it’s the first town in his wake! So go home, batter down the hatches, and prepare for the worst!” Lina snapped.

“She has you well trained.” Gunther muttered, but he gathered his troops to retreat.

Meanwhile, Amelia walked up to Lina and asked in a whisper, “What about us?”

“Let’s just hope this only goes forward and not in a three sixty.” Lina muttered.

“Miss Lina!”

“It’s either these people or the whole world!” Lina pointed out, “It’s our safest gamble."

"One berserk spell for another." Zelgadis commented dryly.

"Oh," Amelia said. “Then let’s do it!”

"What do you want me to do, Lina?" Gourry asked. Every single bit of the magical information Lina had supplied had gone over his head, and he understood that there was nothing he could really do in that area, but that didn't mean that he couldn't be of some help. He did have the Blast Sword, after all.

"Stay back and defend us." Lina said. “And be ready to launch an attack in case this doesn’t work.”

"What are we waiting for then?" Zelgadis asked.

Lina held out the Jewel of Ahapta, and Zelgadis activated it with his Shamanist powers, the jewel glowing blue. Amelia added her White Magic to it, and the glow changed from blue to white. Lina threw her own powerful brand of Black Magic into the mixture, and the jewel glowed black. Red energy suddenly spouted from it, wild and untamed. While Zelgadis and Amelia fought to keep their energy flow steady, Lina fought to combine and control the power, to wield it, to use it against Shabranigdo.

Meanwhile, energy pooled in Shabranigdo’s hands. He unleashed it so quickly that the group didn’t have any time to defend themselves! But fortunately Gourry stepped in front of them with the Blast Sword, cutting the energy in half, diverting I around the group. Meanwhile, Scarlet cried, “Violet! Please, do whatever you can to help us!”

Once again, Shabranigdo became frozen in place. Sweat ran down Lina's brow as she fought the Jewel of Ahapta for control over the power, and she was so focused on the task that she couldn’t spare the attention for what Shabranigdo was or was not doing. Slowly, piece by piece, the red light took the shape of a sword.

“What’s this?” Shabranigdo asked.

“Just a little something we found along our journeys.” Lina said, trying to sound confident as she wondered what to do next. The prospect of running with Zelgadis and Amelia as they held the jewel between themselves in a bizarre twist on the three-legged race to bring the sword down upon him seemed too ludicrous to work. 

“Think about going forward, Miss Lina!” Amelia said.

Lina nodded, and did so, surprised to find that the energy seemed to obey her thoughts. “Gourry get back!” she yelled.

But Shabranigdo was forming another energy burst. Lina’s heart started beating so hard she could feel it in her throat as Gourry stayed in front of them to meet it head on. “Violet!” Scarlet cried, “Please! Think of our town!”

Shabranigdo snarled as the energy died in his hands. “Gourry, move, now!” Lina yelled, and he rushed back behind them, and Lina wasted no time in directing it to Shabranigdo. Zelgadis and Amelia struggled to keep the power flow steady as Lina controlled it, throwing it as quickly as she could at her enemy before he got another chance to attack them. 

Shabranigdo screamed as it hit him, but fought against it, keeping the power from completely enveloping him. Lina struggled to push forward, just a little bit just…just a little bit more, just a little bit more to defeat him. Fortunately, the earlier wounds he had taken from multiple Ra Tilts and hits with the Blast Sword had weakened him somewhat, and Lina soon felt her spell pierce through him. 

A brilliant red light lit the sky, and everyone was knocked to their feet as a loud whooshing sound rang through the air as one by one the monsters disappeared into another realm. Shabranigdo was enveloped in ruby red light, and even more light spilled from his eyes and mouth, his pores, washing over him like rivers of watery blood. The light congregated at Shabranigdo's center and imploded, sending a shockwave through the battlefield knocking everyone to their feet. Then it was like the first time Lina had defeated Shabranigdo. His complexion changed from dark to sandy white as he crumbled in fountains of sand into the ground, saying as he did so, "It seems you have defeated me a second time, Lina Inverse. Feel proud, for there are few who could claim such an honor. Be prepared, if we ever fight again."

Lina let out a sigh of relief. They had done it! They had won! She slumped forward then, suddenly exhausted but happy. 

“Thank you, Scarlet.” Violet’s voice sounded from far away, “Goodbye.”

Lina looked over at Scarlet, who was crying, but appeared to be at peace. “Goodbye.” She echoed.

* * *

Soon after they had defeated Shabranigdo, Gunther and his troops returned to where the group lay resting, in awe of what they had witnessed from afar. “You’ll want to make sure people stay away from this area at night.” Lina said, “Just to be sure. The only other place this jewel was tested was haunted by beings trapped between this world and the astral one.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Gunther said as he looked at Gourry, his expression somber. “We need to talk.”

Gourry’s insides seized, but he nodded as he got up and followed Gunther. When his brother finally stopped and turned to face him, Gourry braced himself for the worst. 

"So, it really isn't the Dukedom you're after?" Gunther asked again, tentatively.

"No," Gourry said, his eyes widening in surprise as relief washed through him. "Never had a taste for politics. Besides, I go where Lina goes."

Gunther smiled, "That's one wild kid you picked up."

Gourry shook his head, "You have no idea."

"I still don't like you, Gourry, but I guess that you've always been true to your word. If you ever cross Elmekia's borders again, you will be safe from me. Just don't stop by to visit. It would be too awkward."

Gourry frowned. He figured as much. There would probably still be members of his family who felt that he should be the heir. Maybe they had a point. Gunther was paranoid and power obsessed after all, but Gourry knew that he could in no way run a Dukedom successfully. For one thing, no matter what your intentions, you don't abandon your domain like he did, even if it was to protect the family and the Sword of Light. That, and while there were members of his family who would want to give the Dukedom to Gourry, he knew that there were just as many who would want it to go to Gunther, and thus the old family feud would be re-ignited, and Gourry in no way wanted that. He had no want of a civil war within his family again. Whatever else he might do, he did not want to murder members of his own blood in the name of some senseless power struggle. May be Gunther wasn't fit to rule, but even as inept leader was better than a brutal war.

"I understand, Gunther." He held out his hand to shake, and Gunther looked at it a moment before accepting it briskly. 

"Now if you'll excuse me, Gourry, I’ve got to talk to Scarlet."

Gourry watched him walk off silently, sighing to himself. And people said he was thick headed. He looked over to where Lina was talking with Scarlet, who looked rather composed considering all she had been through.

“I’m afraid I was rather harsh with you when we first met.” Scarlet said.

“Don’t mention it.” Lina said.

Scarlet shook her head, “It needs to be said. I judged you harshly without understanding the severity of the situations you face. You can’t exactly fight a monster like Shabranigdo and worry about how your reputation will fare.”

“Well, you were right about a few things.” Lina replied, “It’s not like I’m facing him every day. And I can be a bit reckless.”

Scarlet patted her on the arm, “A first I thought you were quite the bitch for insisting that I confront Shabranigdo. I understand now. Violet and I got to say goodbye, and I was able to come to terms with the fact that this was the only way to save the world, and that it was what Violet wanted. I needed those resolutions. Follow your instincts, Lina, because they are uncanny.” She shook her head, “I wish mine were as good. Especially as I’ve got to figure out what to do now.”

“Well, you’re welcome to stay at Gabriev Castle.” Gunther butted in, causing the women to jump in surprise, “There’s quite of bit of history there that needs investigating.”

Scarlet blinked, “I’m afraid I think I should rather go home and broach this tragedy with my parents.”

“Oh,” Gunther said, obviously deflated.

“Granted, once they hear the news I gather they’ll be so furious with me I’ll be in need of a fortress to hide in.”

Gunther smiled, “I’ll keep the light on for you.”

“Scarlet, you don’t need us to come with you, to make sure you’ll be okay?” Lina asked.

“I’ll be fine.” Scarlet said dismissively as she waved her hand, “Sherra’s grip on the town was rather strong, but I think I can make them come around.”

“Well, if you need a place to stay for the night before you head out in the morning, we have plenty of rooms at Gabriev Castle.” Gunther said.

“Oh give it a rest!” Lina cried.

* * *

"So, where are you headed off to, Zelena?" Amelia asked as they walked the streets of Kirva on their way to the inn.

"Now that the trolls aren't attacking Trespin anymore, I think I'll finally get around to doing some traveling. I'm thinking of going to the Outerworld, actually."

"The Outerworld?" Zelgadis asked, "What for?"

Zelena shrugged, "Just to see what it is like."

"Well, when you're back from the Outerworld, on behalf of Seyruun, you're welcome to visit any time. Just tell the palace guards that you're a friend of mine and I'll see to it that you get through the palace gates." Amelia said.

Zelena nodded, "Thank you. I'll be sure to visit when I get back." She looked at Zelgadis and grinned, "And I'd better see you there as well."

"Don't worry," Zelgadis said, putting an arm around Amelia, who snuggled up closer to him, "Amelia has informed me of a research position into the Shamanist Magics available at Seyruun. I think I'll be staying there for quite a while, actually. Now that I'm not worried about finding a cure anymore."

"So, you're going to use the Jewel of Rajah?" Lina asked.

Zelgadis shook his head, "Not now, at any rate, but perhaps in the future, when things are quieter. Knowing the way we tend to attract trouble, I doubt this will be the last time we have to face some ridiculous danger. And, like Milgasea said, I've grown accustomed to the strength my rock body and the powers my demon half gives to me. Whether I like it or not, they have made me who I am today, the man that Amelia loves," he said, stroking her hair, "And the man that helped to defeat Dark Lords and monsters. Whether or not I want to, I can't go back to being a mere human again. That doesn't matter, however. I'm human at heart."

"Wow," Lina whispered to Gourry, "I wonder what all brought about that change."

Gourry shrugged but said nothing.

"So, where are you two headed off to?" Zelgadis asked as he looked at Lina and Gourry.

"Well, I guess we'll go back to Seyruun with you, and then, who knows?" Lina said.

"Are you going to destroy the Jewel of Ahapta?" Amelia asked.

"No, Amelia," Lina said, "I'm keeping it. Just in case."

"Be careful with it, Lina," Zelgadis warned, "Even with the three of us, controlling it still proved enormously difficult."

"I know, I know," Lina said, "But that is also why I'm keeping it. To prevent it from getting into the wrong hands, because quite frankly, I'm not sure that the thing can be destroyed. Something that Sorcerer Keran mentioned in his notes."

"My, my, that was a close one for you. It was a close one for us as well! We nearly had what we wanted, but it seems as though victory was no to be ours." Xellos said, floating over them in midair.

Lina groaned. She so wanted this to be over, "What it is you want, Xellos?"

"Now, now, Lina, no need to fear. I'm just shaking your hand over your victory. I may be many things, but I am not a sore loser. I have no further plans regarding you, for the moment that is, but trust me, I have the feeling that we shall meet again!"

And with that, he vanished. Lina sighed, "Oh great. Just what I needed to hear right now." She grinned suddenly, "Well, not much I can do about it, is there, so why even worry?"

Gourry laughed, putting an arm around her shoulder. "You got that right."

"You should have killed him while you had him in the Shadow Snap." Zelgadis said.

"Well, if I didn't kill him, then I didn't kill him. Besides, you never know, he might actually be somewhat useful next time." Lina said.

"I hope you're right," Amelia said as they reached the inn.

“Night!” Zelena said as she walked over to the desk.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm heading off to bed myself." Zelgadis said. 

“You’re not going to eat?” Lina asked.

“Too tired. Night!”

“Me too,” Amelia said as she made to follow him, “Night!”

"Night," Lina and Gourry said after them as they left, leaving the two of them alone as they wandered into the dining hall and took a seat.

"So, Lina, where are we headed after we go to Seyruun?"

Lina shrugged, "I don't know, Gourry, all I know is that no matter what, I'm just going to keep on going."

Gourry chuckled, "I guess some things never change then."

Lina frowned as she grabbed his hand, “You don’t mind, do you? All this time on the road, constant traveling, not to mention the worry I must put you through…”

He leaned forward to cut her off with a kiss, stroking her hair gently as he did so, “The rewards are far greater than the pains.” He whispered in her ear as he pulled away with a smile.

Lina smiled as she pulled up the menu, “In that case, I know of a resort in Thigl that boasts the bluest lagoon you’ve ever seen. I figure after all this monster fighting we could use some rest!”

He laughed, “Do you honestly think anywhere you will be restful? You attract trouble like no one I’ve ever met!”

Lina shrugged, “I guess. And side by side, we always get through it!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this was an interesting experience. Thanks for reading/following/kudosing/commenting! I think there is definite interest in a new season of Slayers if they ever decide to create one!

**Author's Note:**

> I originally wrote this in 2002 to be the fourth season of "The Slayers" we never got. And, as I always maintained, I took it down when we did get that fourth season. I debated about whether or not to update this with Revo/Evo and with all of the background info that had since reached the English speaking world (in 2002 there wasn't a lot, I even email QPDiana with a lot of questions, some of which we now have answers to that we didn't then). Also, when I wrote this I was so focused on making it canonically accurate that, after I finished it, I realized I forgot a few anime trademarks, such as the new character who has their own arc through the season (granted I was so scared of writing a Mary Sue I shied away as much as possible from OCs) and Lina casting a Dragon Slave in the first episode. I was paralyzed with all of the changes that needed to be made, and then the final novel translations were made available and I found some resolution in those that I found lacking with the series and further caused me to put updating this on the backburner.
> 
> However, this stuck in my mind. "The Slayers" should have ended on a stronger season. And I finally figured out some ways to incorporate Revo/Evo and the new background information we have. Some things about Revo/Evo frustrate me, such as Amelia not being a glutton like she was in TRY and NEXT, so let's just say it happened but all of the characters were hit with an OCC stick and are now back to their end of TRY selves, OK? Anyway, one chapter down, 25 more to go!


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